Secrets
by mykkila09
Summary: secrets unfold when a reunion between the original rangers and the dino thunder team happen
1. Ch 1

Disclaimer: I don't own power rangers or any familiar character just the story line.

_It's been two years since Conner McKnight, Kira Ford, Ethan James and Trent Fernandez graduated from Reefside High School. Just after prom, Conner left to go on a soccer tour, where he hoped to become a professional player before opening his own soccer camps; Kira, Ethan and Trent moved away to various colleges only to move back after Christmas break of the first year, where they attended Reefside Community College. _

_While performing at the café, a song producer overheard Kira sing and offered her a deal, saying that they had a recording branch here in town, when she voiced a displeasure at having to move, now she is a very good singer with her albums going number two; TCrane coming in at number one (_if it's not obvious by now who that is, later on it will be revealed)_ at its first week on the charts. Kira didn't mind only because TCrane happened to be her favorite singer/songwriter._

_Both Ethan and Trent got their lucky break soon after. Ethan got his when he was running late for his business class and stopped to help a guy after seeing that he had a little car trouble. Realizing that he was now extra late, he grabbed his books and sprinted towards the class, knowing that his teacher would be pissed because of the guest speaker that was coming by. The guest speaker turned out to be the same man he helped earlier with his car, who turned out to be Joshua Davidson, CEO and owner of JD Technologies, one of the biggest computer and technological companies in the world. Impressed with Ethan, Joshua offered him an internship at his branch in Bayside City, which was only an hour's drive from Reefside; Ethan could continue going to college while he worked._

_Trent's break was just like Ethan's. His art teacher had an old friend stop by to help with the class, by giving them pointers on how to shape and create their work. When he came upon Trent's drawings, he was amazed at the talent that Trent had and gave him an offer to intern at his company. Trent couldn't believe that he was offered a job practically (_the internship was just a formality_) by the biggest name in comic book drawing, Mr. Michael Thompson, CEO of Starfire Comics. He informed him that while he was flattered, he wanted to finish college first. Michael assured him that he understood an told him when college was finished the job would be waiting, and that he wouldn't have to worry about anything, 'cause at Starfire Comics workers were encouraged to be as creative as they wanted because he liked when fans could relate to the characters. Trent was delighted and took an internship instead, saying it would prepare him for the job._

_Tommy still teaches at the high school, and Hayley still runs the café, but with the help of the others, and Anton Mercer, extended it so that it appealed to everyone's taste, looking more like the youth center now. _

_Conner's soccer tour started in France, where he met Kimberly Ann Hart, just one month after arriving. Neither of whom knows that the other was a ranger. They met through an accident, and hit it off completely. They lived together on and off for about a year and a half. After another accident leaves Conner unable to play professional soccer (_he could still play but not too heavy, only like coaching or very light soccer games) _he moves in with Kim permanently. Ironically they shared everything with each other, except the fact that they were rangers. Not knowing that they had someone in common, Tommy (_Dr. O as Conner calls him, as Kim calls him by his middle name; James) _Kim is or was a singer, she went by the name of TCrane, and she's also a designer, goes by the name Annabelle (_Ann is short for Annabelle) _in the fashion world and is now one of the top designers. No one really knows how she looks because she disguised herself when she was TCrane, and worked in the background as Annabelle. While everyone from the old gang (_minus Tommy_) know about her being TCrane; only Trini and Aiesha know about her being Annabelle. _

_This story starts off the second week in May, which is about a week before Conner goes back to Reefside. Kira and Trent are still together (_on and off)_ and Kat and Tommy start dating the week before Conner comes home. The others don't know that Conner has been living with Kim permanently for six months now. They also don't know her because Conner always called her TC (_reference to TCrane) _or Belle, sometimes he calls her Lil'C just to piss her off, whereas the others don't know Conner because Kim always called him CJ (_Conner Jayden)_. A reunion between the original and the dino thunder looks to be very exciting, especially when the past catches up and secrets are sure to come out._


	2. Ch 2

"Speaking"

'_**Thoughts'**_

**Emphasis/radio**

_Songs_

Kim woke up to the scent of fried chicken and rice. She looked over at her clock and realized that it was now 1:00 p.m. . . .Hurrying out of bed, she heads to the bathroom to freshen up, before pulling her robe over her pink spaghetti-strap tank top and pink and white shorts as she made her way to the kitchen. The sight that greets her makes her smile and she momentarily forgot that she was supposed to be getting ready. Conner was standing at the stove in a red wife-beater and blue and yellow flannel pants, singing along softly with the song on the radio, while fixing breakfast. (A_fter knowing Kim for so long and visiting her mom and stepdad, Kim's mom taught him how to cook the basic stuff saying men should know how to cook for their women)_

"Wow CJ a girl could get used to this," she smiled.

He turned around and blushed, seeing the smile on her face, smirked and answered, "Hey TC didn't hear you get up."

"How could you hear with the radio and the fact that you're singing," she teased, "how you hear anything with that voice is beyond me." Actually he was a pretty good singer; he even helped her out with a few songs on both her French and English album, before she stopped singing.

(A/N_: After winning the Olympics in 1996, she decided to focus on college. She majored in fashion, and had a minor in Business. During and after college, she tried her hand at another favorite hobby of hers; singing. In 1999, about three years after the Olympics, she started singing; she had changed her image and gave herself a new name, so that her Olympic background would have no bearing whatsoever on her singing career. She became very popular, and in the space of two years had recorded three albums. In January 2001, she quit and moved to Paris to be with her mom and focused on making a career in fashion; in the summer of that year, she came back to America, where she reunited with her friends, spent some time, and then returned to Paris. In 2003 she had a compilation album, and then she did a French and English one after she met Conner in 2004. He sang a few songs on both albums at her request. She stopped singing again when talks of tours came up, and refocused on her fashion. She brought out six albums in total and all were huge hits, in Europe and the US. She is also very popular in the fashion world as, you guessed it, Annabelle_)

"Ha," he replied, "You didn't think I was so bad when you let me sing on your album."

"True, you know, I don't know why you never told your friends about you being able to sing, or that you were very good in French, Math and Business in high school."

"Because, singing was Kira's thing, she's very good and I didn't want to take the spotlight away from her," he sighed, "same thing goes for Ethan and Trent. Math and Business were Ethan and Trent.

"And what was yours?" she asked as she took the plate of food from him and sipped her orange juice. She never drank coffee, she hated the stuff.

He sat down across from her with his own plate, and then grinned, "Being the soccer star and popular jock that got all the girls."

"You egotistical ass," she laughed, "Is that all you think about?"

Conner put a hand over his heart like he was wounded, "Kim, that was such a mean thing to say. You wound my heart"

Laughing, she finished her food and walked back to her bedroom to get ready to go out, but not before replying, "Oh honey, I didn't know you had one."

"Be mean to the guy that cooks for you," he answered as he heard the phone start to ring.

"CJ you know I love you," she laughed then closed her door as she was heading to the bathroom.

"And the only reason I put up with you is because I love you," he yelled as he answered the phone, "Hello?"

Kira stared at the phone as she caught the end of Conner's statement. She couldn't believe it. Well not that she couldn't believe, it's just a little shocking since she thought he was too busy being a pro soccer player. At least that's what she told herself.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He asked.

"Yeah, hi Conner it's me, Kira."

"Kira!" he said, "wow, haven't heard from you in what, like a week?" he laughed.

Kira chuckled to herself then said, "Actually Conner it was more like five days ago."

"Now hey, the school week had five days, so if you think about it's still a week in my book.**"**

"Whatever Conner,"she said, "so what's up with you? Got any soccer groupies yet?"

"Nah, besides who needs groupies when I have what I want, or at least I hope I will soon,"he said, "So anyways, what's up with you, any new songs? How are Ethe and the others doing?"

'_**I wonder what he meant by that? It couldn't be what I think it meant could it? Nah, this is Conner we're talking about. I'll just push it out of my mind.'**_

"I actually took a break off for awhile, you know to get some time to myself,"she paused, "and Ethe and the others are doing well. He's still at the company; I think he's going for apromotion pretty soon. Trent took a break also, '_to get ideas_' I think he said for his latest comic book. You know Hayles is never giving up the café, I think she has too much fun, and Dr. O still teaches and we manage to bug him every now and then."

"He still threatens you guys about coming over unannounced?" He laughed.

"Yea, you know, I think just the other day, he threatened to drop Trent off of the brachio zord, because he ate his food," she said.

Looking around to make sure TC was still in her room, but not wanting to take any chances of her overhearing, he lowered his voice and said, "You'd think that Dr. O would remember that Trent was evil and his dad was our villain."

"True, but you forget that Dr. O was _**the**__**first**_ evil power ranger, and he almost killed his team."

"Right, I forgot. So anyway, besides taking a break what's up with you?" he questioned, "You and Trent still dating?"

"Well, actually I don't really know. I think right now it's more that we're comfortable with each other, than anything."

Ignoring the flip in his heart when he heard that, and hoping the hope wasn't in his voice, he managed out, "How so?"

"Well I guess I just realized that I'm starting to have feelings for someone else, and I can't help but wonder if I'm staying with Trent just because it's comfortable, you know?"

Conner remained quiet as he thought over what Kira just said. _'__**Please don't tell me she likes someone else already. I mean it was bad**_ _**enough to see her with Trent, I don't know if I can handle seeing her with anyone else.**_' In an attempt to get back the conversation, Kira changed the topic.

"So when are you coming home?"

Sighing in relief that she hadn't picked up on his feelings, Conner smiled, then teased,

"Aww, babe, if you missed me all you had to do was say so."

"What did I tell you about calling me babe, jock?" she mock yelled.

"That you love it, and I should do it every chance I get?"

"Conner, you are still the same," she managed in between gasps of laughter, "but don't change."

After that the conversation became talks of normal things like what the other was doing for summer, where they talked about everything and anything. He talked to Ethan, Trent and Hayley for a brief while before talking to Kira. Kim came out of her room and he was still on the phone. She frowned, wondering if he forgot that they were supposed to leave in fifteen minutes.

"Yea, so anyway, I'll actually be home next week Tuesday, the 9th. My plane gets there at like three in the afternoon. It's flight 4357 on UK Airlines, Gate 14."

"Alright, I'll let the others know, so we can meet you there."


	3. Ch 3

A/N: just in case I forgot, this will be a kim/tommy story. And while I do tolerate kat, be warned that this **will **have kat bashing in it, so kat fans, back away.

A/N: I don't hate her, I just don't like her with tommy. So therefore I will read kat-bashing stories just like I will read stories with her, as long a she's with anyone but tommy.

Conner looked up from the phone to Kim. She was dressed in a knee high pale pink halter dress, with matching two inch heels, and her white jacket. Her hair was done in curls and was up, with a few tendrils framing her face (_think j.lo in maid in Manhattan; the scene when she went to the dinner with Chris (Ralph Fiennes) near the end of the movie) _

At his confused look, she rolled her eyes and answered, "You know, that art show that mom and dad have tonight?"

Smacking his palm on his forehead, Conner answered, "Oh shit I forgot about that."

"You know you're starting to remind me of Tommy more and more."

"Tommy?"

"You know? My ex, James/Tommy there the same guy," she shook her head, "He was forgetful like you're coming to be."

Something about the name Tommy struck a cord in him, but before he could think about it further, Kim interrupted him, "So aren't you going to get ready? We leave in fifteen minutes."

Hearing the female voice on the other end, Kira felt a heart squeeze for a moment, "Conner?"

Turning back to the phone, Conner said, "Oh sorry Kira, I totally forgot I have to be somewhere."

Hearing the name, Kim perked up and turned to Conner with a smile, "So that's Kira, no wonder you didn't remember."

"Hey look can I call you later?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure Con, I'll talk to you later."

"Alright I'll see you."

"Bye."

Turning to face Kim, he saw the smirk on her face.

"Not one word Kim, I mean it."

"What? I wasn't going to say anything," she said while trying to hide the growing smile.

"No, but you have that look in your eyes," he said.

Adopting an innocent expression, she asked, "What look in my eyes?"

"Nothing, you know what, I'm just going to go get ready."

She laughed as left the room. The moment he left, her laughed fell to a soft smile. She thought about how much Conner liked the girl Kira, but didn't tell her anything. The way he talked about her reminded her of the way Rocky and Aiesha acted around each other. And she wondered if the girl loved Conner just as much as he did her. It also reminded her of Tommy. She was still in love with him after all these, especially after knowing what really happened between them. She still remembered the day when she found out exactly why everyone had stopped talking to her. It was just before that reds only mission that Jason had to go to.

_Flashback_

_Kimberly A. Hart was back in Angel Grove for the summer after living in Paris since January. She hadn't seen or spoken to any of her old friends since murianthathis, but after the letters that she got, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see them again. I mean, they even blamed her for what happened with Tommy when she should be blaming them and him. As she was walking down the streets, she was too busy going through her bag to watch where she was going, and walked right into someone._

"_Oh I'm so sorry, I wasn't really paying attention," Kim said with her head down._

"_It's ok, it's my—Kimberly?" the person said._

_Kim froze, wishing it was a dream, then slowly raised her head to look into the eyes of the person that she once called her best friend and sister._

_Aiesha Campbell couldn't believe her eyes. Right in front of her was her best friend. No one had heard or seen from her in three years, not even Jason. When Aiesha had gotten letters from Kim she was hurt and angry, and she couldn't believe that the girl that was her sister in everything but blood could write such hurtful words. When she had called home for answer, she found out that Kim had broken up with Tommy by letter, and that the others had received letters as well, even Tanya. At the time something about Tanya getting letters had bothered her, but she couldn't figure it out, so like everyone else, she put Kim out of her mind, but never her heart. It wasn't until she had come back to the states in the fall of '99, when she ran into Trini, did she finally figure it out. Both girls were not willing to let their friendship with the former pink ranger go that easily, so they sat down and talked about it, and realized that they both got letters, and it wasn't until they started going over and comparing the letters did they make a surprising discovery. Aiesha's letters were sent to Angel Grove, around the same time that Aiesha was in Africa, and according to Trini, Kim had no idea that Aiesha was in Africa. Hearing that, Aiesha finally realized what had bugged her about Tanya getting letters as well; Kim had no idea who Tanya was, because she was never told that she and Tanya had made the switch in Africa. Going to the rest of their friends (minus Tommy) with what they found out, they came to the conclusion that perhaps there was more to the letters than they saw, but the only person to talk to them, couldn't be found. It was like Kimberly Hart had disappeared off the face of the earth. And now after three years of searching, it was by chance that she ran into her in Angel Grove of all places. Gathering her stuff, she stood up and tentatively took a step towards Kim._

"_Oh my God Kim it's so good to see you."_

_Kim was a little surprised and skeptical to say the least. So she took a step back and answered coolly, "Really? Why is that?"_

_Aiesha was a little put off by the tone in Kim's voice but before she could say anything, Kim was already talking._

"_Look, I don't want to sound too rude, but there's somewhere I've got to be." And with that, she turned and walked away._

_To say 'Sha was dumbfounded was an understatement. She heard the cold tone of best friend, but she saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes, and she wondered at it. Kim was doing no better; now out of sight she could safely let the tears fall. _

'_**I can't believe she has the heart to stand there and pretend to be nice to me after what happened. Doesn't she remember how she and the others hurt me with their letters? They were my best friends, my family, and they tossed me aside for breaking up with Tommy when he was the one that was cheating on me, and they all knew it. And no one bothered to say anything to me about it.'**_

_Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she continued to her destination. Aiesha finished up and hurried to the house to tell the others the news. They were shocked, and expressed their questions as to the hurt that Aiesha said she saw. Alas, it was Rocky that voiced the comment that got everyone thinking; "hey guys, I just thought of something."_

"_What's that Rocky?" Billy asked. (_A/N. Billy's back from Aquitar, for good._)_

"_We all received letters from Kim right? Or so we think," he said, "And we all believe that there's something else going on."_

"_Yea" Adam said._

"_Well what if the letters __**were **__fake and what if Kim got letters as well," he replied, "I mean, what else could explain the hurt that 'Sha saw."_

"_How do you mean Rocky," Jason asked._

"_I think I understand what he's getting at," Trini said._

_All eyes turned to Trini, waiting to hear what her take on it was._

"_Guys we know that there's no way that Kim could've wrote the letters that 'Sha and T got, the timing was off, and besides she didn't know about Tanya. The letters, like Rocky said, weren't real, they couldn't be. And the only thing that I can think of that would explain the hurt that 'Sha saw was if--_

"_Whoever wrote the letters, wrote some to Kim as well," Jason finished._

"_Exactly," Rocky said._

"_You're forgetting one thing," Kat said._

_They all turned towards her. _

"_We don't know if that is true because Kimberly won't talk to us. And she is the only that can explain everything. And besides who's to say that she wants to talk, I mean if the letters were fake like you guys suggest, then why didn't she try to find out the truth?"_

"_Why didn't you guys?" Zack asked. At his statement, everyone paused what they were doing, and thought about it. Seeing that he had their attention, Zack continued, "Why didn't any of us? We all know the person that she was, we should've known better, instead of taking the letters at face value, we should've tried harder to find out what was up, but we didn't; and besides, who's to say that she didn't. No one was talking to her at the time, and I know Kim, we all do, if something had happened, she would have tried to get in contact with someone; she probably would've teleported up here to find out the truth."_

"_Zordon wouldn't have allowed it, and besides wouldn't he have said something to us?" Kat asked._

"_Not if Kimberly had requested of Zordon not to disclose any information on her arrival," Billy stated._

_All eyes turned to Trini. "He said if Kim had asked Zordon not to tell us, then he wouldn't have."_

"_Why?" Tanya asked._

"_Because out of all of us, Kim was the closest to Zordon," Aiesha said, "I remember that she would always be at the Command Center, sometimes before we got there."_

"_Right," Billy said, "Whenever I went to help with repairs, she would be in there talking to Zordon. I think Kim knows more about Zordon than the rest of us."_

"_When Zordon died we all felt it, but I think that because of our animal spirits, because we were ninjetti, the six of us felt it more than rest." Aiesha said._

"_What are you getting at Sha?" Adam asked._

_She turned to him, smiled and asked, "What spirit animal did you hear above the rest?"_

_At that the three guys opened their eyes wide and whispered simultaneously, "the crane."_

"_Exactly, at first I thought it was Kat 'because she had the powers last but then I remembered what Dulcea said about our animal spirits being another representation of ourselves. So there was no way it could've been Kat, because she was never the crane. I mean, sure she held the powers, but she couldn't fully access them—_

"_Because the crane wasn't her animal spirit," Rocky finished._

"_And didn't you used to say that you had problems controlling the crane zord?" Aiesha asked Kat._

"_Yea, I did. I never understood why I couldn't tap into all the powers of the crane," she said, "But now I know. It's because the crane was never mine."_

"_Uhuh, and besides that, Zordon always called Kimberly 'his young crane' and you guys have to admit, when he talked to her, especially when he called his young crane or his pink ranger, his tone was different, more fatherly."_

"_And Kim always thought of Zordon as her second father, more so than the rest of us, simply because of how her own father treated her as kid, and a teen," Jason said._

"_To Zordon, it didn't matter who the pink ranger was after she left," Adam said._

"_That's why she felt his death harder than the rest of us, they were close. And to him, she would always be his pink ranger," Kat replied with a hint of bitterness that no one picked up on unless you were focusing on her, which Trini happened to be doing._

"_Exactly, so if Kim did come up here to find out what's wrong, maybe she saw how we were acting, and figured that the letters were true," Rocky said, "And left without talking to us, and probably told Zordon not to mention that she was here."_

_At that the conversation was dropped, Trini's attention however was still focusing on Kat. There was something in the Australian blonde's voice, which sounded a lot like bitterness and it came out when they were talking about Kim and Zordon; it was almost as if she was jealous. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she focused on finding her baby sister to get the answers they all so desperately needed. '__**Where are you Kim and what's going on with you.**__'_

_Over the next few days they all tried to find Kim but to no avail. Jason and Rocky both got a call from Tommy saying that they might be needed for a reds only mission in a few days. Rocky had declined to go saying that he could stay just in case they found Kim. It wasn't until the day of the mission did they actually found her. But this time it was Adam that did it. He was walking through a store at Angel Grove mall, when he spotted a very familiar body a few feet away. Following his instincts, he walked up to her and called out a name in a soft, but firm voice, "Kimberly?"_

_For the second time Kim cursed her luck. She wondered how many more of them she was going to have to see before she left. As he looked into her eyes, Adam saw the hurt and wariness for a second before she blanked her expression. '__**Could Rocky and Tri been right? Had Kim received letters as well?**__' _

"_Adam, hey what's up?"_

'_**Well at least she's talking; I would've thought she would have run from the way 'Sha talked.**__' "Nothing much Kim, haven't seen you in awhile. 'Sha mentioned she saw you the other day. We all miss you Kim."_

"_Really?" she asked._

_Adam didn't miss the brief flare of surprise and hope in her eyes, but he also didn't miss the bitter edge to her voice; so he suggested that they have lunch, and to his surprise, she accepted. They talked about everything in between the last time they saw each other up to now, and the lunch was actually less awkward than either imagined it would be. It wasn't until he suggested meeting everybody did it get a little intense. Kim protested immensely but gave in eventually. At the house the others were hanging out. Tommy had just left to get some last minute preparations done for the mission, and told the guys that he would talk to them later. They had silently agreed not to mention anything about Kim and the letters possibly having been faked, not wanting to get his hopes up in case they were wrong. Ten minutes after he left, Adam showed up with Kim. Everyone was shocked, and too stunned to move, except for Tri and Sha who immediately rushed their friend and hugged her. As Kim went around to each friend, Trini found herself watching Kat; again she couldn't help but feel that kat was hiding something, something big. As she looked around, she realized that she wasn't the only one that noticed the blonde's too cheerful yet guarded response to Kim. She raised an eyebrow in Aiesha's direction, and at the nod she got, she understood that they were thinking the same thing; __**'what was Kat hiding.'**__ As the morning progressed, Rocky's thoughts on the letters were correct. It turned out that Kim had in fact received letters from everyone. She explained the letters she got and how they called her everything from a slut to a bitch. She told them why she broke up with Tommy, and how she felt. Everyone was shocked at what happened. And now that they knew the truth, they were determined to get their friendship with the original pink ranger back. They spent the rest of the day talking, completely forgetting about everything, which is why Jason was late to the mission. After that the others left until it was only 'Sha and Tri. They had gotten the sense that they was more that Kim had wanted to say and they were determined to find out what it was. After she explained about coming home after sending the letter to Tommy, she told them how she came to the youth center and saw him with Kat, and she could've sworn that Kat looked at her and smiled. Silencing their words, she begged them to forget it, saying that she probably imagined the whole thing. Wanting to placate their friend, they silenced their thoughts over Kat's puzzling behavior, knowing that Kim wouldn't be able to handle knowing someone she trusted deliberately sabotaged her relationship with everybody, so they agreed to put it out of their minds. Over the next few years, they all stayed in touch, no one told Tommy anything because Kimberly had said that she wanted Tommy to focus on what he wanted out of life and his doctorate, without all the drama that she would most definitely bring to it. When she had worked up the courage to tell him, she found out he was a ranger again, and reasoned that fate was preventing her from telling him, and the excuse she gave them was saying that Zedd had used her against him, and she didn't want history to repeat itself. So they kept their mouths close. She had eventually told them both of them about being TCrane, and Jason and Zack found after they overheard Tri and 'Sha talking. After that she decided to tell them all about her singing career, which was great, because she and Tanya got to do a few duets together; and when she started designing in Giorgio Armani's company, the gang was also the first to know. However, after she started on her own, Aiesha and Trini were the only ones that she told about being Annabelle. She couldn't believe after all this time—_

"**Kim!!**"

Kim was pulled out of the memory at the frantic yelling of Conner's voice. She looked up to see Conner already dressed. He was wearing black dressed slacks, with not too noticeable red stripes down the side, a white undershirt, red tie, and the jacket to the pants. (_A/N kind of liked the outfit he wore to prom at the end of the season.)_

"What?"

"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes."

She frowned, "You have? Well what time is—Oh shit! We're going to be late."

"You think?" he said while hurrying out the door.

Hiding the smile on her face, knowing she was wrong she turned to him as she started the car, "Why didn't you call me or something, anything to get me moving."

"What? I'd been calling you for ever, but you were like completely zoned out," he spluttered, "And how can you blame me?"

"Calm down Conner, I'm just messing with you," she laughed.

"You're the devil, you know that?"

"Yea, but you still love me," she laughed.

The drive was pretty quiet after, listening to the radio and offering up comments on the songs, and the takes on how they could've have done it. They arrived at the party on time, and helped out Kim's parents with anything that they needed help with. Afterwards, they made their way home, and settled for the nightly routine, which consisted of watching movies and eating popcorn, until they fell asleep.


	4. Feelings

A/N: this will also have the following couples  
Kira/Connor, Trent/Krista, Ethan/Angela (the girl in the last episode), Billy/Hayley, Jason/Trini, Aiesha/Rocky, Adam/Tanya, Zach/Angela.

Disclaimer: still don't own them

The next few days passed by very quickly. Getting Conner packed to go home, putting some finishing touches on her sketches, both Kim and Conner were very busy. Before they knew it was Tuesday the 9th, day that Conner was to leave. As he was finishing up, he heard the phone ring.

"I got it," he heard Kim yell out.

"Ok."

"Hello?"

Ethan stared at the phone in confusion, but then remembered what Kira had said a week ago about a girl at Conner's place. "Oh, hi I'm looking for Conner, is he there?"

"Yea hold on, let me get him," She said, "Hey Conner, the phone is for you."

"Who is it?"

"Who am I talking to?"

"It's Ethan."

"It's Ethan, what do you want me to do?"

"Take a message."

"Boy, what do I look like, your secretary?"

Ethan listened to the conversation with interest. Kira, Trent, and Angela, noticing the look of rapture turned to him.

"Dude, what's going on?" Trent asked.

"Shh."

_Back to Kim and Conner_

"Conner here's the phone, now come get it before I come in there after you."

Conner came out of the bedroom, and smiled at Kim, "You know, for a secretary, you pretty much suck at it."

"A secretary?" she asked, "Whoever said I was your secretary?"

"Well, I did."

"Do I look like a secretary to you?"

He looked her up and down, then answered, "Well… out some heels, a short skirt, and a blouse, plus some ugly, weird looking librarian glasses, and yea, you could look like one."

"Conner Jayden McKnight, I swear I will kill you and hide your mutilated body," she said.

Ethan snickered as he heard that. The others were still trying to hear what was going on, but he waved them down.

"Oh come on, you don't mean that," he pouted.

She shook her head, "Why I let you live with me is beyond my comprehension."

"You love and can't live without me," he teased, "That's why you let me live with you."

"Whatever."

Ethan was shocked and blurted out, "Conner you live with her?"

"OH hey Ethe, and yea I do, have for awhile now."

"Conner how long exactly has you known this girl for you to be saying I love you to her?"

At Ethan's question, Kira felt her hear drop, this wasn't the first time she heard that. But she was hoping that it was a mistake.

'_**What is wrong with me? Why am I acting this way? I mean, I have a boyfriend; I can't be having these feelings for Conner. And—**_

"**Kira**"

"Oh sorry guys," she said, "You were saying?"

"Ethan was just teasing Conner about the new love of his life," Angie said.

"You mean his latest?" Trent asked, "The guy has a new love every week."

They all laughed, but Kira was suddenly in no mood for jokes. Making up an excuse about having something to do before they head to the airport, she walked out of the café and down the streets. She ran into Tommy and Kat.

"Hey Kira," Tommy said, "Thought you were going to go to the airport with the others?"

"I am, but there's something I have to do first."

"Oh, ok then, well I'll see you later."

"Bye Dr. O."

"Airport, why would they be going to the airport?" Kat asked her boyfriend.

"Conner's coming home today, and they haven't seen him in two years." He said. Then he thought about another person that he hasn't seen in years, eight years to be exact. She was, is, the love of his life, and he missed her, more than he thought he would. Shaking his head, he led Kat through the doors of the café.

Walking down the street, Kira wrapped her arms around her waist and thought about Conner.

'_**Why am I really acting this way? It shouldn't bother me when Conner said that he loves and lives with her. But it sounds like he knew her a long time. I mean Ethe said they've known each other for about two years, which means it's probably TC, the girl he's always talking about. And what did he mean the other day when he said he hopes that he will have what he wants soon. I mean, I couldn't be jealous could I? And if I am, then, then that means that—**_

"Oh my God, I love Conner," she stopped and said out loud.

'_**I'm totally, completely in love with Conner McKnight. It makes sense. No wonder I felt weird when he showed up at prom with Krista. But it's true, I love him. He's always been there for me from the moment we met. He was the only one that told me the truth about that farce of a video that I did; he was at every one of my shows, and he's always been supportive of me,**__**no matter what. Not even Trent has been there for me like Conner has. I've always been able to talk to him about anything, even my relationship with Trent, and besides he makes me madder than anyone I've ever met. But when it comes down it, all that can be called passion, and I have it more with him than I do Trent. I wasn't lying when I said Trent and I are just comfortable with each other right now.' **_Kira sighed, _**'What am I going to do? I can't tell Conner, he seems really serious about this girl, more serious than he's been about anybody, even Krista.'**_ As she walked through the park, she sat down on a bench, pulled her knees up, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her arms. As she sat there, she heard a song on a nearby radio.

_It's been too long and I'm lost without you,_

_What am I gonna do?_

_I've been needing you, wanting you_

_Wondering if you're the same and who's been with you_

_Is your heart still mine? I wanna cry sometime_

_I miss you_

_Off to college, yes you went away_

_Straight from high school you up and left me_

_We were close friends, also lovers_

_Did everything for one another_

_Now you're gone and I'm lost without you here now_

_But I know I gotta live and let you somehow_

_Come back to me, can you feel me?_

_Hear me calling for you_

'_Cause it's been too long and I'm lost without you_

_What am I gonna do?_

_Said I've been needing you, wanting you_

_Wondering if you're the same and who's been with you_

_Is your heart still mine? I wanna cry sometime_

_I miss you_

_Now I'm sitting here thinking 'bout you_

_And the days we used to share_

_It's driving me crazy; I don't know what to do_

_I'm just wondering if you still care_

_Now I wanna let you know _

_That it's killing me_

_I know you've got another life_

_You've gotta concentrate, baby_

_Come back to me, can you feel me?_

_Hear me calling for you_

_Cause it's been too long and I'm lost without you_

_What am I gonna do?_

_Said I've been needing you, wanting you_

_Wondering if you're the same, and who's been with you_

_Is your heart still mine? I wanna cry sometime_

_I miss you_

_Since you went away I don't really feel talking_

_Don't really feel like playing,_

_I can't do a thing about you_

_It's been too long and I'm lost without you _

_Tell me what am I gonna do?_

_Said I've been needing you, wanting you_

_Wondering if you're the same and who's been with you_

_Is your heart still mine? _

_Ye-ea-ea-eah I miss you baby_

_What am I gonna do? I've been needing you_

_Ye-ea-ea-eah_

_Wondering if you're the same and who's been with you_

_Is your heart still mine? I wanna cry sometime_

_I miss you_

"**And that was 'I miss you' by the late Aaliyah," **the radio announcer said.

Kira drowned out the rest of the words, focusing only on the song that just played. She thought about when she first met Conner, how close they became. At the beginning, she knew that he had had some type of feelings for her, but she was so focused on Trent, that she pushed it out of her mind, and didn't really pay that much attention to it. It wasn't until Krista that she had started to realize or rather acknowledged that she felt more than friendship for the soccer star. She had thought that he would have been done with Krista or that the environmentalist would have no use for him, but when he had showed up to prom with Krista in tow, she knew he was serious about her. She remembered standing on stage and watching him smile at the brunette, and it had hurt. It had reminded her of when Kylee Styles had played with her and Conner had had a huge grin on his face, but when he had turned towards her, it fell into a soft smile, and his eyes seem to be saying, '_she may be famous, but you're better than her, and I'm proud of you._' She had smiled when she saw his smile, because it was his shy smile; and like then she had taken comfort in the fact that the smile that he reserved for her, his Kira Smile as he called it ('cause she was the only that saw it), Krista had never seen. Both Hayley and Dr. O had told her not to let the opportunity go. When you love someone you fight for them. At the time she had denied loving him, but now she couldn't. She was finally being honest with herself, but decided that it would be her secret. Conner's friendship meant more to her than anything else, even what she had with Trent; and she wasn't about to jeopardize it for anything.

A/N: That little button that says review, hit it please. I would like to hear what you guys think

A/N: remember this is fanfiction, which means I can take it anywhere I want it; so any flames will be used to warm up my house for the upcoming winter

Song used was **I miss you **by: Aaliyah; R.I.P girl and we miss you


	5. Leaving and phone calls

A/N: I had to split this into two chapters just because it had two separate part; one with Kim and one with Connor

As she sat there, she was jolted out of her thoughts by the loud and incessant ringing of her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Kira where are you?" Ethan asked.

"I'm…on my way back," she said, "Why?"

"We're getting ready to go to the airport."

She looked at her watched and noticed the time; it was now two o'clock. She hadn't realized that she had walked around that long.

"Alright, I'll be there in a few."

"Ok, cool, see ya then."

"Bye."

Se got up and headed back towards the café. She really was excited to have Conner home. Ethan was probably the only one that knew exactly how much that she missed Conner. He had often told her that she should tell Conner if she had feelings for him, she didn't have to love him, but if she did feel anything for him beyond friendship, then she should tell him. When she had insisted that she had nothing, he had dropped it for awhile. She sighed as she walked. When she realized she was nearing the café, she wiped the forlorn expression off her face, and smiled (or at least tried to), but before she could get to the doors, they opened revealing Trent, Ethan, Krista and Angela.

"Whoa guys, what's the hurry?" she asked, then stopped as she saw who else was with them, "Krista, when did you get here?"

"I got here about a while ago," she said, "They were still talking to Conner, and I asked to talk to him. He asked for you but they said you had left on an errand, so he said to tell you he'd talk to you later because he had to finish pack and get to the airport."

"Conner just called back, said his flight came in an hour early," Ethan said, "He's just arrived at the airport; if we leave now, we should get there before he gets to the luggage claim."

(_A/N: I know that it probably takes a lot longer than four hours to get to Reefside from Paris, but this my story, my warped mind made it shorter, so deal with it.)_

"Well let's go then."

So the five friends headed to Trent's car (since it was bigger and they would be getting Conner and his luggage) and sped off towards the airport.

_Earlier with Kim and Conner_

After he had hung up with Ethan and the others, he finished up and headed out the door. On the drive to the airport, he and Kim had talked about everything, including what he was going to be up to for the summer

"So what are you gonna do this summer, besides hanging out with your friends?"

"Well, I'm gonna try and get a job; then I'm going to look around for open places so that if I do get the money that I need for the soccer camp, I have someplace to hold it."

"Oh, well that's cool."

The drive after that was a comfortable silence. Before they knew it, they were pulling into the airport. As they made their through, Kim said to Conner, "You know Ceej, I don't know why you didn't just use the private jet."

"Come to think of it, me neither, but then again, if I had, then I would have had to answer a lot of questions from the guys; and I kind of want to avoid that."

"You coward," she smirked.

"Yes I am," he said, and then they both started laughing.

They got to his gate, and checked him in. They sat there listening to music, and ate some snacks which Kim had gotten up to buy, while waiting for his flight. Next thing they knew, his flight number was being called, and they realized that it was almost two hours early. Gathering his stuff, they headed over.

"I'm really going to miss having my little brother around," she said.

"Big brother," he corrected, "And I'm going to miss you too; if you're ever back in California, give me a call and I'll give you a tour of my home town."

"Why would I want that?"

"Because it'll be soon be known as _Reefside: Home of the Connor McKnight Soccer Camp_."

"Reefside huh?" she said. _**'Why does that sound familiar?'**_

"Yes."

"Cool well then next time I'm in the states, I'll be sure to take you up on it."

As he heard the attendant call the passengers to be boarded, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight.

"I'm going to miss you so much," he said.

"I'm gonna miss you too," she replied. Then she broke out of his arms, and with tears in her eyes, she gently pushed him forward. He looked up and wiped the tears with his thumb, and then he kissed her forehead, and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, "Call me when you arrive so that I can know you're safe, ok?"

"OK," he answered, "Bye."

"Bye," she said. And then she watched as he handed over his ticket, turned and waved to her, before he disappeared onto the plane. Wiping the remaining tears, she turned around headed out to her car. She couldn't believe it. They had spent the past two years together, and now he was on his way back home, and she was still here. He was one of her closest friends, probably closer to her than the others, Sha and Tri combined. He was the only one that she confessed exactly how she had felt about their betrayal; how hurt she was and how for a second, how she had hated them. Kim smiled to herself as she remembered how she ranted when she had found out not one, but two secrets. One was her boyfriend cheating on her; the other had to do with her past.

_Flashback_

_She paced across the room angrily. Connor sat in the chair and watched her. He was just as upset as she was. He had seen her boyfriend out with a blond female. Something about the girl had seemed very familiar to him, and when he had told Kim, she had gone to confront him. He had denied it of course, but it seemed to Connor that after she had gone to visit that friend of hers, she had found out the truth. It turns out he was cheating on her with the friend. When Kim had come back, angry and almost in tears, he had coaxed the answer out of her. To say he was upset was a huge understatement. Now he sat there watching her pace and vent out her anger._

"_I can't believe him, I can't believe __**her**__. I mean, how could she do that to me? I thought she was my friend. She deliberately sabotaged my friendship and my relationship with my friends and my boyfriend. I trusted her, we all did."_

"_What are you talking about?" he asked confused._

"_Remember when I told you that I had broken up with my boyfriend in high school because I was told that he was cheating on me, and because of that, my friends had stopped talking to me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well as it turns out, the same friend that was here, well apparently she was the one behind it all."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, you know my friends had all gotten letters that were supposedly from me, saying a lot of mean things about them, and I got some as well; and that break up letter was the reason for all that. I just found out, that __**she **__was the one that did it."_

"_What?"_

"_Yea, my friend Katherine, that one that you saw my boyfriend cheating with, was the one to write those letters back in high school; she deliberately destroyed my friendship with the others, just so she could take my place, and you know what? They let her."_

"_Wait, Kim they didn't know, and it sounds like you're a little angry with them," he said, "I thought you guys already cleared that up?"_

_She paused, and sighed, "We did, but you know, I can't help but feel a little bit of anger and resentment towards them."_

"_How so?" he asked._

"_Well when they got the letters, they did nothing about them; they took them at face value, believing the words, while I was the idiot to try and figure out why my friends had suddenly become cold and mean towards me, why I thought my boyfriend was cheating on me." _

"_Maybe they were in shock or something…," he trailed off._

"_I waited a week to see if anyone would contact me, and when they didn't, I took matters into my own hands. I got a flight back home, Connor, __**I**__ tried to find out what happened, how they could send me those letters, __**I**__ tried to save our friendships, but they did nothing; and when I found out that they were angry at me, I left. I never told them I was there. And in that moment I hated them for it. I think a part of me still do, is it wrong for me to feel that way?" she cried._

_He got up and wrapped his arms around her, "No it's not. You didn't do anything wrong, in fact you did everything right. __**You **__were the one to try and find out what went wrong, not them. As far as I am concerned, you had every right to feel that way."_

"_Thanks Connor," she smiled._

_End flashback_

The only thing he didn't know about her was that she used to be a Power Ranger. But other than that, he knew everything about her, and she knew everything about him as well. They had more in common than she would have thought. Both their parents used to fight a lot, and he used to take some blows defending his twin brother from his drunk of a mother. And they both grew up listening to their parents fight and blaming it on themselves, so that they had eventually turned to sports to spend as much time from the house as possible; him soccer, she gymnastics.

As the days went by, she found herself missing Connor a lot; but she knew that she had a fashion to think of, so she focused on her jobs and her designs; and besides he had called her when he arrived, so she knew that he was okay. It was about two days later, when she got the call from Jason. She was going through some sketches when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey lil terror, what are you up to?"

Kim smiled as she heard her big brother, in everything but blood, on the phone, "Hey Rex, what's up?"

"Just calling to see what my favorite little sis is up to," he said.

"Jase…" she warned knowing that when he used those words, he either wants something, or did something he doesn't think she'll like.

He laughed, "Ok, and to tell you that we're planning a little get together with the original twelve and Tommy's team next week."

"I think that's cool."

"Yep, Tommy and his team are coming up on Sunday, and we were wondering if you could take some time out of your super busy schedule to come," he exaggerated and laughed lightly.

"Jason, I'm not that busy and yes, I will be able to make it, in fact, I think that I can spare maybe two –three weeks, if that's ok," she said.

"That's perfect, well…" he stopped as he heard something. Kim heard Tri and Sha in the background, and it sounded like they were arguing.

"Hey is that Tri and Sha?" she asked.

"Yea hold on let me get one or both of them."

"OK," she said; then she heard him yell out to them, next thing both girls were on the phone.

"Hey guys."

"Hey girl," Sha said, "I have you on speaker so that you can talk to us."

"Oh, there isn't anyone else there is there?"

"Nope, wait hold on, Jase just left, so it's just us two and you," Trini said.

"Good, now I can ask, is **she** going to be there?"

They paused, not too sure what to say, and then Trini answered, "We don't know actually, since we found out about her and **him**, we haven't talked to her that much. We tried to avoid her because Sha and I figured that it would be too hard to talk to her without getting angry at her for what she did, so we don't really know."

"But I did hear from T that she was no longer in England, and that she might have been living back in California ever since, and that she may have a surprise for us," Sha added.

"I wonder what kind of surprise the bitch has in store considering the surprise that she kept from all of us," Kim muttered darkly.

Both girls were not shocked by their friend's response, hell they even encouraged it sometimes, so it was no surprise when Trini answered her just as darkly, "You know, I still can't believe that she did that, I mean what the hell was she thinking when she did it?"

"I don't know, and you know as much as I want to, I don't well not right now at least, can we talk about something else," Kim said.

"Like the reunion and seeing a former handsome leader?" Sha teased.

Kim smiled slightly and teased back, "Oh you mean Rocky?"

Hearing the laughter on the other end had her laughing as well, "Girl you know that I don't mean Rocky, but just in case you are serious, Rocky's taken, and I meant Tommy," Sha laughed.

She sighed as she thought about it, "I really don't know guys, I mean, it's been so long…"

"I know that Kim, but don't you think that he deserves to know the truth? I mean he's not a ranger anymore, so you have nothing stopping you, and I heard you tell Jason that you have time to spare to come home, so you really don't have any excuse not to," Trini interrupted.

She sighed, and then smiled "Do you think he's single?"

"That's the spirit, now get your butt off the phone, book your ticket and hurry up home to get your man back," Aiesha laughed.

"Alright, and promise me that we won't let her bring this trip down?" Kim asked.

"We promise, and don't worry, even if she did try something, you know we got your back," Trini said.

"I know, but I gotta go if I want a quick flight, so I'll call you guys with the information alright?" she said.

"Ok girl love you and we'll talk later," Aiesha said.

"Love you guys too, bye."

A/N: thanks to all my reviewers. I already have some pages of this story written, so I'll be updating like every day until I get what I have up there.

A/N: I'm glad you guys like the story so far, who knows sometime in later chapters I'll ask opinions and directions on where I should take a scene


	6. Home again and surprises

A/N: Aren't you guys lucky, two chapter updates. Love the reviews

A/N: again, I know the departure and arrival of the planes are way off, but it is my story, so I made him arrive quicker

Connor arrived at Reefside Airport about an hour earlier than he had told the guys that he would be there. He had called them as soon as he landed to let them know and knew that they were on their way; so he grabbed his luggage and settled in a chair until they got there. He pulled a book from his backpack, and had just started reading when he heard his name.

"Connor!!" Ethan yelled.

He looked up and around to find the voice, when he looked behind him, he saw Ethan, Kira, Trent, Krista and Angie all running towards him. He stood up, and started their way. As they reached him, he pulled Ethan into a huge bear hug.

"Ethe, it's so good to see you."

"Likewise bro," Ethan replied.

After he let go of Ethan, he turned to Trent, "Trent, my man, what's up bro?"

"Nothing, but it's good to see you too."

Kira hung back and watched as Connor greeted their friends, when he finally turned towards her, she felt her heart skip.

With a teasing smile on his face he said, "Hey babe, did you miss me?"

"What did I tell you about calling me babe?"

"Do it more often?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped into his embrace, "Welcome home Connor."

"It's good to be home," he said, "Now what do you say we get out of here? I'm craving one of Hayley's smoothies."

"Always thinking with your stomach, huh?" Ethan teased as he elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

"You know it."

"Come on guys, let's grab his stuff and head out," Trent said. So they grabbed what they could and headed out towards the parking lot to Trent's car. The six friends chatted on every single topic they could find, it wasn't until they started teasing him about TC that he remembered.

"So Connor, I'm surprised to see you in one piece," Ethan said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well from what I heard, it seems that you pissed that girl off 'til she threatened to kill you."

The others laughed as they remembered what he had told them of the conversation between Connor and Belle. As it was that remark prompted Connor to smack his forehead as he remembered he was supposed to call her.

"Oh shit, I'm supposed to call her," he groaned, "She's probably going to kill me or something."

"Well do it now," Trent said.

"Alright, hold on let me call her real quick," he said. He dialed the familiar number and waited for the voice of his little sis.

"Hello?"

He smiled, "Hey it's me."

On the other end of the phone, Kim smiled as she heard his voice. It's only been a few hours, but she already missed him. So with that, she teased, "Connor?"

Hearing the smile in her voice, he replied dryly, "No, it's the tooth fairy."

"Really, does that mean I can finally get all the money that you owe from when I was a kid?"

"Belle!!"

"Sorry," she laughed.

"You're not."

"Ok, I'm not," she said, "So what's up?"

"Nothing just called to let you know I'm here safe and sound."

"That's good, and I'm glad," she smiled, "So who picked you up?"

Throwing a glance around he answered, "Everybody came."

"Everybody, huh"

"Yes"

"Does that mean that Kira's there as well?" she teased.

He didn't answer, but the guys could see a faint blush covering his face.

"So I'll take your silence to mean that she did come, and she is in the car with you," she said, "So did you kiss her senseless when you saw her?"

By now the blush was in full swing, "Belle!! Come on, nothing like that happened."

"Uhuh, but I bet your wishing it did."

"Why did I call you again?"

Her laughter could be heard by the others, and Connor had a soft smile on his face. He missed her.

"So how does it feel to be home?"

"It feels good; I'm with my friends and everything, so…"

"I'm glad you're happy, but I still miss you."

"I know, I miss you too," he replied.

"Well thanks for calling but I've got to go," she said, "I have some sketches to finish up, and I have to go by my mom's place."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later."

"OK, bye and I love you."

"Love you too."

"Of course you do, I'm me," she laughed, "Bye Con."

"See ya." And with that he hung up the phone not noticing he had a soft smile on his face until Krista pointed it out.

"Hey Connor, what's with that smile?" she asked, "I've never seen you with it before."

Kira, who had her face in the opposite direction when Connor started talking, turned around to see what Krista was talking about. Then she saw the smile that was on his face. It was a soft smile, and her heart clenched as she saw it, but it unclenched as she realized that it wasn't the same as the one she got. It was similar, close even, but not quite. And she smiled to herself as she realized it. They got back into talking, and before they knew it, they were already at the café. Connor got out of the car first, and practically ran up to the doors.

"You don't think he misses it do you?" Trent asked sarcastically.

"NO, what gave you that idea?" said Kira. They all laughed as they saw the joyful expression on Connor's face.

"Guys hurry up," he said. Connor opened the doors and stepped inside. As he moved so the others could come through, a wave of nostalgia hit him. He was home. He looked around at one of his most favorite places in the world, Dr. O's place was probably his favorite, and realized that it hadn't really changed. It was bigger, and it had more computers, but he could also see that she had included more stuff as well like, a few mats where people could do some karate, an arcade corner, and a balance beam, just because some of the girls practiced a few gymnastics, which reminded him of Kim. He remembered that they had told him that she had modeled it after the juice that Dr O used to hang out in when he was a teen. As he and the others walked through the door, Trent made his way over to the counter.

"Hey Hayley," Trent said, "Guess who's back?"

Hayley was working in the back on a few computers, and orders, and had just come out to take some more when she heard Trent. She smiled as she heard his question and turned to him and answered, "Hey Trent, so who's back?"

By that time the others had made their way to the counter with Connor in tow. He came out from behind the others and smiled and said, "Me."

When Hayley heard that very familiar voice, she dropped the dish towel and turned towards. Her eyes got wide, and to the others surprise, she flew from behind the counter straight into Connor's open arms.

"Ahh Connor oh my God, when'd you get back?"

"Just now," he smiled, "The guys just got me from the airport; hey where's Dr O at?"

"He's around here somewhere," Krista said.

"There he is over there," Angie said.

As he turned to where she was pointing, he saw the man in question sitting at one of tables with a woman, looking back at his friends he asked, "Who's that with him?"

"That's his girlfriend," Ethan said.

As he turned back to look at the table he was struck with a sense of familiarity_. __**'Something about that girl seems really familiar, though I can't say where I've seen her before.'**_

"Come on; let's go over there," Kira said, "I'm sure Dr O would love to see you."

He shrugged, and nodded, "Sure, why not."

They gathered the smoothies that Hayley had provided when they were talking, and headed over to the table.

Tommy and Kat were talking about their high school and college days, when he saw the guys heading towards the table; he looked up towards them and smiled, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Nothing Dr O, just thought we'd bring someone over to see you," Trent said.

Both occupants had a puzzled look on their faces, until they moved aside and a young man in red stepped from behind them.

"Connor?"

"Hey Dr O"

Tommy stood up and embraced Connor, "Man Connor it's good to see you."

"Likewise Dr O," He replied. When he stepped out of the embrace, he casted a look to the female sitting at the table, and again, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere, shaking the feeling away, he waited until he remembered to introduce him to the woman.

"Oh I forgot," He said and then smacked his forehead, "Connor this is Kat, the pink zeo and first pink turbo; Kat this is Connor, the red dino thunder."

"Looks like your forgetfulness strikes again," the Australian blonde said, "It's nice to meet you."

He shook her outstretched hand and replied, "Likewise."

Now the others were used to Connor's unfailing ability to flirt with beautiful women, as long as the age appropriate, so it was somewhat of a shock when all he did was shake Kat's hand and then sat down. Following his lead, they all pulled up chairs, and sat as well.

"So what have you been up to Connor," Kat asked.

"Oh nothing much, I used to play soccer, I actually just came back from a tour in Europe."

"Wow, that sounds interesting," she said, "I knew two guys in high school that were really good at it."

"Really"

"Yea, maybe I can introduce you guys."

"Yea, maybe," he replied nonchalantly. Connor had a feeling in his gut about the blonde in front of him, she was pretty, don't get him wrong, but his gut was telling him that there was something about her that rubbed him wrong, and during and after his tenure as the red ranger and leader of his team, he had learn to trust his instincts, and right now his instincts were telling him not to trust her. Meanwhile the others were still a bit puzzled about his behavior; they would have thought that he would've been a little more excited to meet some more soccer buddies. Kat felt a little put off by his lack of enthusiasm, she would've thought that by the way Tommy talked about his love for the sport, he would've been at least a little excited at meeting some others, but it was as if he was disinterested, whether it was about the sport or the fact that she brought it up, she was not sure. An awkward silence settled over the table for a short while and was only broken when Hayley showed up.

"Hey Connor, thought you'd like your favorite," she said as she handed him a blueberry muffin.

He looked up at her with a grateful smile, "Thanks Hayles, you have no idea of how much I missed your muffins."

"Well by the way you're going at it, I'd say I have a pretty good idea," she laughed, and then turned to go back to work.

"So what are you guys doing?" Connor asked.

"Hang out as usual," Ethan shrugged.

"Yea, at my place," Tommy said, "Which I'm sure I told you guys not to do anymore."

"Oh lighten up," Kat smiled at her boyfriend, "You know you love having them over."

They all laughed at the look on his face, but Kira was paying attention to Connor and saw that even though he was laughing, it didn't reach his eyes, and she made a note to talk to him about it. After that the talk turned towards catching, pretty soon Hayley came over and joined them, as they were sitting there, a familiar song came over the radio. Kat, recognizing the voice tried to change it, but was stopped by Connor.

"Hey I want to hear that song," he protested.

The others laughed at his enthusiasm and pretty soon the station was back to where it was.

"**Alright for all you fans out there, this is **_**'I'm your Angel' **_**by TCrane featuring CJ Knight.**

_(__**TCrane)**_

_No mountains too high for you to climb_

_All you have to do is have some climbing faith (oh yeah)_

_No river's too wide for you to make it across_

_All you have to do is believe it when you pray_

_(Pre-chorus—__**CJ Knight**__)_

_And then you will see_

_The morning will come_

_And everyday will be bright as the sun_

_So all of your fears just cast them on me_

_I just want you to see_

_(Chorus--__**both**__)_

_I'll be your clouds up in the sky_

_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_

_I'll hear your voices when you call me_

_I am your angel_

_And when all hope is gone I'm here_

_No matter how far you are I'm near_

_It makes no difference who you are_

_I am your angel_

_I'm your angel (__**TC**__)_

_(__**CJ**__)_

_I saw your teardrops and I heard your cry_

_All you need is time, seek me and you shall find_

_You have everything and you're still lonely_

_It don't have to be this way_

_Let me show you a better day_

_(Pre-chorus 2—__**TC**__)_

_And then you will see_

_The morning will come_

_And all of your days will be bright as the sun_

_So all of your fears just cast them on me_

_How can I make you see…?_

_(Chorus--__**both**__)_

_I'll be your clouds up in the sky_

_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_

_I'll hear your voices when you call me_

_I am your angel_

_And when all hope is gone I'm here_

_No matter how far you are I'm near_

_It makes no difference who you are_

_I am your angel_

_I'm your angel (__**CJ**__) _

_(__**Bridge**__)_

_And when it's time to face the storm (__**CJ**__)_

_I'll be there by your side (__**TC**__)_

_Grace will keep us safe and warm (__**CJ**__)_

_And I know we will survive (__**TC **__last part __**both**__)_

_And when it seems as if your end is drawing near (__**TC**__)_

_Don't you dare give up the fight (__**TC**__) (no no—__**CJ**__)_

_Just put your trust beyond the sky (__**TC**__)_

_(Chorus—__**both**__) x2 _

"**And that was **_**'I'm your Angel'**_** by TCrane featuring CJ Knight. Now some fans are wondering if any more albums will be forth coming from the popular singer, but I'm sorry to report that no, there will be no more CDs. The singer stopped singing back in 2004, her whereabouts remain secret, but that still doesn't mean that she is forgotten. As always this 105.5 WRFSD; making waves across the coast."**

"No offense Connor, but I didn't think you were the type to listen to those kind of songs," Angie said.

"I know huh," he smiled, "When I was in Paris, she was having a concert, and after the show, I talked to her."

BY now Kira was fully interested, and moved forward in her seat to better hear. It was no secret to the others that TCrane was quite possibly her most favorite singer.

"Whoa," Ethan said.

"Wait, are you telling me that you actually met TCrane?" Kira said excitedly.

"Yep," he smiled and nodded. At the looks on his friends and former teacher and teammates faces, he laughed.

"I don't believe you," Krista said.

"But I did," he said, "I asked her for an autograph and I told her that I liked her songs. When she asked why I told that she reminded me of a friend of mine who was also a singer."

Kira was beyond ecstatic. She couldn't believe that Connor had actually met TCrane. And she was dying for information, "And?"

"I told her your name and said that she was one of your favorite singers, and she said…" he paused.

"She said what man?" Ethan said.

"She said that's good because you became one of her favorite singers too and that there was something about you, about your music that she can relate. She also said that if she ever had to go back to singing that it would be cool to perform with you."

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Kira exclaimed, "She really said that?"

"Yea she did," he answered, "I even asked her why that was because usually singers are rivals, and her remarks were that not too many up-and-coming singers have what it takes and they sometimes let the fame go to their heads, and let others control their images, which is something she hates, but you don't, and that made you an ok person in her book."

The others sat there in stunned silence. They still couldn't believe that he was actually telling the truth. As he looked around at their faces, he could see disbelief, "You guys still don't believe me?"

At their nods, he reached into his backpack, and pulled out a CD, and passed it around, "Read and see for your self then."

As they looked on the CD, they could see the words on the back cover; Ethan took the CD and read the words out loud:

_To my fan Connor, hope you have a wonderful time here in Paris, I know you'll love it; oh and your friend, the singer Kira, tell her that I applaud her for not conforming to what record labels these days thinks that her image should look like, for that she's ok in my book; who knows, maybe sometime we can sing together. _

_Love TCrane._

"I can't believe it," Trent whispered, glancing from the CD to Connor and back, "You actually met her."

"Told you guys," he smirked, "Is it my fault you didn't believe me."

The others turned to Kira, who had the CD clutched in her hands and was re-reading the words like some sort of prayer, as if they would disappear on her.

"Kira honey, are you ok?" Hayley asked.

"Yea…I'm fine," she whispered, "I just still can't believe that she said that about me, that _**I'm**_ one of her favorite singers."

"She did remind me of you, and you do remind me of her," he said.

'_**More than you know,'**_Kat thought to herself.

"That's probably the best compliment I've ever received," she said. Then she turned to Trent and said, "No offense."

"None taken," he chuckled, "I'd probably be the same way, hell I was the same way when Mr. Thompson said I reminded him of him at my age."

"Now that that's all out of the way, what's every body doing?" Connor asked. As if on cue, before anyone could answer, Tommy's cell phone went off.

"Sorry guys, let me take this," he said apologetically.

"No problem Dr O," they waved him off.

"Hello?"

"Hey bro, what's up?" Jason said.

"Nothing much, just hanging out," he replied, "one of my former students just got back into town today, so we're all catching up."

"Well how would you like to catch up as well?" Jason said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about having a reunion with the original twelve and your team next week."

"I could make it, hold on let me run by these guys first because they might have plans," he said, "Hey guys, how would you feel about taking a trip to Angel Grove with me for a **family **reunion?"

"Family as in….?" Ethan asked.

"Uhuh," Tommy nodded, "I'm on the phone right now with the first leader."

The young adults all looked at each other, and with a nod, confirmed that they would like to go.

"Alright bro, so it should be about nine of us, which includes Hayley and three others," he said with a wink to Kat, who had pouted at not having her name mentioned.

"Cool, well it should last about a week or two, 'cause that's how long the others can take off. And don't worry, there's only one person yet that I have to ask, and I know she'll be able to make it."

Tommy wasn't stupid, he knew that he was talking about Kimberly, and he wasn't sure he was all that prepared to see her again, but he pushed it out of his mind and said to Jason, "That's good bro, so when do you want us there; because we can be there as early as Sunday." _(A/N: it's still Tuesday, this is just what happened when Connor got home that day.)_

"Sunday's fine, see you then."

"Later bro," he said then hung up the phone and turned to the others, "So who's up for a road trip?"

All he got in response was enthusiastic yelling and cheering. The rest of the day went by fast, and the others talked long into the night. Ethan even remarked that Connor didn't have to unpack, just to pack again. Connor still couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen Kat somewhere before, and because his instinct was telling him that something was off, he couldn't bring himself to relax around. Kira had asked what was up with him and when he had told her, she said his instincts had never let him down before, but maybe this time they were off and if he still had problem, he should talk to Dr O about it. Which were why, two days after the call from Dr O's high school friend and a day after the talk with Kira that he found himself at Dr O's house early Thursday morning; he walked up to the porch and rang the doorbell. He faintly heard someone say come in, so he did. He poked his head through the door and call out, "Dr O?"

"_We're down in the basement."_

He closed the door behind him, walked through the kitchen, and over to the trap door, when the entrance was and proceeded down the stairs. As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and looked at the scene in front in stunned silence. They weren't doing anything, but rather it was position in which he saw them. Kat had her back towards Connor, with her hands on Tommy's shoulders (whose hands were resting at his side), and she had her head on the side, so that it looked like she was looking over her shoulder. Seeing them like that, jolted a memory out of him, and he finally remembered where he knew the blond from…

A/N: things are getting interesting. Connor finally remembers Kat. Read and review

Song used: _I'm your Angel—_Celine Dion feat. R. Kelly


	7. A memory and a talk prt 1

A/N: Connor remembers Kat, and you guys find out exactly why he's so cold towards her. Plus a talk between him and Kira

It was as if it happened yesterday. After his soccer game in Spain, he had stopped over in England to meet Kim so that they could fly back to Paris together. He was on his way back to their apartment, when he had he saw her.

_Flashback_

_Connor was walking through the fields after soccer practice, on his way back to the apartment where he was staying with Kim. He heard giggling and looked up to see a man and a woman wrapped in each other's arms, smiling at one another. The couple looked familiar but he shook it off and kept walking. As he walked, he felt compelled to look again, so he did. The blond had her back to him so he couldn't see who she was, although something about her posture seemed familiar. Now that he thought about it, the guy looked very familiar as well. He frowned and tried to think of where he had met him, but it didn't click until he heard him speak, "Come on baby, let's just go back to my place, or yours."_

_That's when it hit him; that was Kim's boyfriend, Jean-Luc. And he was cheating on her. He couldn't believe it. The woman turned at the last minute, and he saw just the side of face, he still couldn't place her, but put her out of his mind, and he hurried home to tell Kim, and she had gone to confront him about it. He had denied it of course, and Kim had gone to talk to her friend Katherine about it. He waited until she came home, and was surprised to see her pissed off with tears in her eyes. He had asked what happened and found out that her friend was the girl and not only that, but apparently the girl was responsible for the break-up between her and her high school boyfriend and the relationships with her friends. When he asked for a picture of her, he had his suspicions confirmed as to why the blond had looked so familiar; the girl in the photo was indeed the girl that he saw Jean-Luc with._

_End flashback_

"Connor you ok?" Tommy asked.

Shaking himself from the memory, he looked up at Kat with a frown on his face, "Is Kat short for something?"

Surprised yet pleased that he was talking to her, she smiled and nodded, "Actually it is short for Katherine, but some friends of mine calls me PC as well."

He closed his eyes as she said that. Now knowing the truth; the woman standing in front of him, was the same woman that he saw in England seven months ago. But with the truth came a startling realization; if she was the woman and she knew Kim and was a former ranger, then that meant that Kim was one as well.

"You sure you're ok Connor?"

"Yea I'm fine," he said, "Dr O did you say that Kat wasn't the original pink ranger?"

"Yea, she replaced her actually," Tommy said.

'_**I bet she did in every single way'**_Connor thought to himself.

"In fact I have a picture around here somewhere; oh here it is," he said, "Her name is Kimberly Hart, and she was the first pink ranger."

Connor took the picture and looked at it. Sitting with her trademark smile on her face was none other than his little sis, Belle. He gave a soft smile as he saw that she hadn't really changed as much. He then recognized the others from various pictures that she had around her place. She only had a few with the guy in green around, if he remembered correctly, the rest were in her bedroom. The guy seemed really familiar, "Hey Dr O, who's the guy in green?"

"That was me," Tommy said, "I was first the green ranger, and then I became the white ranger, followed by red, and finally black."

As Connor looked from the photo to Tommy then back to the photo, he couldn't conceal his shock. If that guy was Dr O when he was younger, then that meant that Dr O was the high school boyfriend. All of a sudden he felt angry. His little sister went through hell and she was the cause of it. He couldn't stay there anymore. He gave the picture back and left quickly, throwing the excuse of double checking his packing over his shoulder, and hurried out the door.

"Weird," Kat said.

All Tommy could do was nod. The truth was, he had felt more than saw the anger in Connor and wondered at it. Connor drove around trying to clear his head. He finally ended up going to the lake. He got out of his car and walked down the trail. Turning off the oath, he let his memory take back to the place he had found by accident. It was really beautiful; it had a waterfall and a variety of flowers which gave the place a magical look. As he sat on the rock, he let his thoughts run.

'_**Man I can't believe this. It's the same girl. But how could Dr O do that? I mean doesn't he know what happened, and if he did, then how can he still be with her? It just makes me angry that he did nothing, that they did nothing; they just let her take over. Oh crap, than means that Kim's going to be at the reunion as well. Which means that things are going blow up in someone's face,' **_he chuckled, _**'It's funny how we've known each for so long, practically know everything about each, except the fact that we were both rangers. This reunion will be very interesting to say the least.'**_

…

Tommy and Kat were on their way to the café, still puzzled over Connor's behavior.

"What do you think is up with Connor?" Kat asked.

"I really don't know," he said, "I'm hoping someone knows."

As they neared they café, they saw Kira.

"Hey Dr. O," she said, "Kat. What's up?"

"Hey Kira," Tommy replied, "Hey have you seen Connor?"

"No," she replied, "why?"

"Well, he stopped by the house today, but he left very quickly," Kat answered, "And it seems as if he was angry about something."

"Do you know what it's about?" Tommy asked her.

She hesitated, '_**how do I tell Dr. O that Connor doesn't trust Kat? I can't, at least not unless I talk to Connor'**_. "Uhm, no I don't; but do you know where he went?" she asked, "Maybe I'll get him to tell me what's wrong?"

"No I don't," he said, "he just took off."

"That's ok, I'll find him," she said then turned and left.

"Maybe she'll get an answer out of him," Tommy said to Kat.

"I hope so," she replied, "Because I can't help but think that it has something to do with me."

"Who could have a problem with you?" he said, "You're sweet, kind-hearted and you always think of others."

"Aww, that's sweet," she said. _**'If you only knew what I did, you wouldn't be saying that.'**_

…

Kira walked around trying to figure out where Connor could have gone. She passed the soccer field, when she remembered. _**'Of course what's the one place he always go when something's troubling him.'**_

She ran all the way to the lake, and found him exactly where she thought he would be. She called out to him so that he wouldn't be startled, "Thought I'd find you here."

…

Connor was sitting there, watching the river when he heard the footsteps. He gave no sign that he heard, for he knew only one person would know where he was. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard the voice

"I thought I'd find you here."

"Yea"

"So you going to tell me what's up?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"I can't," he said.

"Oh," she said disappointedly.

As he heard the tone in her voice, he looked over towards her, "Kira, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that, I'm still sorting everything out in my head," he started, "And I would be betraying someone if I tell without them knowing. Trust me, if I could tell you I would."

Relieved, she said, "It is ok, I understand. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

"I know," he said, then smiled as he nudged her shoulder.

"What?" she asked, a smile slowly building.

"Nothing, I'm just glad that you came after I guess," he said with a blush.

"OH," she blushed, "It was nothing."

"Kira, can I ask you something?" he said nervously.

"We're friends Connor," she smiled, though a bit apprehensive, "You can ask me anything." _(Sounds familiar?)_"

"Did you mean what you said about liking someone else?"

'_**Why is he asking that? I can't come out and say ye I did and that I meant him.'**_"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I realized something."

"Oh"

"I realized that I like this girl. I mean I really like her you know," he started nervous again, "She's different from all the other girls I've liked. She calls me out on my bullshit and she doesn't let cliques or what people say bother her. She's very independent and I like that about. She's not really girly either, which makes her perfect in my eyes."

Kira felt a blush go up her cheeks at Connor's words and the look he was giving her. _**'Oh m God, she sounds like me. What if it is me? But then again, it could be Krista. Arg, Kira you're only going to know if you ask him. And if it's not you, then be a friend to him still; no matter how much it hurts.' **_"So who is it?"

"It's—

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by his cell phone. Cursing under his breath, he turned away and answered, "Hello?"

"Bro, where are you?" Ethan's voice came through.

"Why?"

"Well we're all here waiting on you and Kira; we were thinking about heading to the park."

"Oh, well we'll be right there," he said then closed his phone, "The guys are waiting for us at the café; said they are going to the park."

"OK." They got up and headed towards the car, both thinking the same thing, _**'I could kill Ethan right now.'**_

A/N: don't you just hate Ethan? Interrupting a moment, don't worry more of those to come.

A/N 2: again I had to split this into two parts. Next half will be the next chapter. Read and review


	8. Memory and a talk prt 2

A/N: here's the second half. Hope you guys like it.

Later that day, after meeting up with everyone at the park, Connor and the guys was playing volleyball while the girls were sitting on the benches. Hayley and Kat were talking about the rangers and the upcoming reunion, Krista was reading, Angela was resting her eyes and Kira had her guitar. While they were there, Connor's cell went off again. Connor's backpack was resting by Kira, so she reached inside and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Hi is Connor around?"

"Uh yea, can I ask who is calling?"

"It's Belle," Kim said, "Is this Kira?"

Kira looked at the phone in shock; partially because of who it was, and the other because they knew who she was. She finally regained her composure and answered, "Yes."

"Nice to hear from you," Kim giggled, "Connor talks about you all the time, you and Ethan."

"Really" Kira said pleased.

"Uhuh, I swear that boy talks about you so much, that I feel like I already know you."

"Wow, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Kim said, "You guys are really important to him; and you're also a big part of his life, so it stands to reason that he would talk about you guys."

"Well, as long as it's nothing bad," Kira chuckled.

"Nah, it's all good, nothing but love when he's talking about you guys," Kim laughed.

Despite the fact that this girl was the same girl that she had heard Connor say I love you to; Kira found it very easy to talk to her. There was just something in her voice that put you at ease, so much so that you can't help but like her; and add to the fact that she felt this weird connection with her (if she only knew she was a former ranger, and holder of the pterodactyl powers as well). Kira and Kim ended talking, and found that they did have things in common. They talked until Connor and the others finished their game and came. As she saw Connor approach, she said into the phone, "Oh well here's Connor, I'm sure you still want to talk to him."

"That would be great."

"Hey Connor, come get your phone," Kira yelled.

"Who is it?" Connor asked as he came up to her.

"Belle"

A look of joy spread across his face, and Kira had to avert her eyes as she gave him the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey ceej," Kim smiled, "What are you up to?"

"Hey, nothing much just hanging out with the guys, you know, relaxing and stuff."

"Oh, and does Kira having your phone count as stuff?" she teased.

"Belle…" he started with a smile slowly building.

"What? I didn't say anything," she said.

"No, but I can tell, you're thinking it."

As Connor was talking on the phone, the others came over. He saw them approach and moved a little, that way he could still see and hear them but he could get a little privacy as well.

"Hey Kira," Tommy said, "Who's Connor talking to?"

"Oh hey Dr O," she replied, "He's talking to his friend Belle from France."

_Back to Connor and Kim_

"So guess what?" she said.

"What?" he asked.

"I'll be in California on Monday."

"Are you serious?" he shouted.

"You don't have to shout," she laughed.

At his shout the others had looked over towards him with puzzled expressions on their faces. He paid them no mind and turned back to the conversation.

"Belle, this is good news," he said, "Wait why are you coming to California?"

"Oh, my brother is having a little get together, a family reunion he called it, and I'm coming home for it."

There was no doubt that the family reunion was the same one they were going to, and he debated whether or not he should tell her that he knows about her ranger past.

"Connor, are you there?" she asked.

"Yea, I'm here."

"Good, because there was something else I wanted to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Well, since I'm going to be in California, I was thinking about coming to visit you," she said, "You know, to see where you're from and maybe your friends."

At her words Connor gave a shout of joy, and this time everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around, wondering what had him so happy.

"You're serious? You're actually serious?"

"Yep, I'll in home on Monday, spend some time with my family, then maybe I can meet you somewhere, that is if you don't mind?"

"Belle why would I mind?" he questioned, "This is great news."

"Well I'm glad you're happy, because even though it's only been a few days, I miss you, and I'm glad I'm coming home."

"Me too," he smiled, "Man, this is so exciting. I can't wait."

"Same here, so is there anything new happening?"

"Belle, it's only been like three days, nothing new happened." Even as he said that he thought about how he knew about her being a ranger, and how Kat was here in town and it seems, with Dr O. _**'Should I tell her that I know? I mean I would want to know something like this. But then again, this isn't something you say over the phone. But If I don't tell her, and she finds out, which she most definitely will when we see each other on Monday, then I know she will be pissed.' **_

"Good, well I'll be in Angel Grove Monday morning, so I'll call you when I get there, ok?"

"Alright, sounds good," he replied, "I'll talk to you later then."

"Bye," she said then hung up.

Connor hung up and turned to see everyone staring at him, "What?"

"Why were you so happy?" Angie asked.

"Oh, I just got some of the best news."

"What?" Tommy said.

"That was Belle, and she told me that she was going to be coming home and was thinking about stopping by to see me."

"So we're going to meet the mysterious Belle huh?" Ethan said.

"Yep, you guys are going to love her," he smiled, "She is smart and a lot of fun to be around."

"Yea I bet she's cute too," Trent laughed.

"Nope she's not cute," he said. The others looked on with looks of disbelief.

"What do you mean not cute?" Ethan asked.

"Well, just what I said, she's not cute," he grinned, "She's beautiful."

"Well what's the difference?" Krista asked.

"Well cute implies a puppy or something, you know someone that you notice but don't really take a second look, kinda like Kat, but beautiful means that's just what she is, inside and out."

Ethan and Trent snickered at the look on the blonde's face at Connor's words, while the others looked on in shock. They couldn't believe that he actually said that.

"Connor that was a little rude, don't you think?" Kira asked.

"Not really."

Tommy frowned at his words, but even so, he couldn't ignore the flip in his heart when he heard that particular word, _beautiful_. He hadn't seen her in so long, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was someone else's beautiful now. He hadn't forgot the letters that he and everyone else got in high school, and while at the time he was angry with her, he knew in his heart of hearts, that she wasn't like that. But when he tried to find her, it seemed like she had just disappeared. He knew that the others had talked to or at least seen her. He wasn't stupid, they weren't talking to her high school, and then all of a sudden they only had good things to say about her. And add to the fact that they all seemed to be dropping hints about something but he wasn't sure what. Whenever Kimberly came up, they seem to be telling him something. Tanya surprisingly had made a remark about the letters when he had talked about it. She had told him that looks can be deceiving and that there might be more to the letters than was let on. What he did find out however, was that she was TCrane. He wasn't stupid, when you're in love with someone, you recognized them anywhere, and he knew Kim's voice anywhere; seeing as how they used to sing to each other often when they were teens. She had sung to him when he had lost his green ranger powers the first and last time. She also sang when he came back as the white ranger, and the last Christmas they had spend as a couple. Just like he had sang to her when she had arrived in Florida. No one knew that he could sing, that he used to when he was a little boy because of his great aunt. He had pretended he couldn't in high school after she broke up with him. So to say the others were surprised was an understatement. They eventually told him that she was, and he had been hurt to know that everyone knew except him. He had gotten comfort when after everyone left; Trini told him that she had wanted to tell him. That she had picked up her phone to tell him more than once, but got scared because she thought he wouldn't want to hear from her. He also remembered something else she had said that night.

_Flashback_

_As she turned to leave, Trini stopped once again and looked back at him, "Hey Tommy?"_

"_Yea Tri"_

"_I know that you're still hurt and angry over the letters," she paused, " but I also know that you're still in love with no matter how much you try to hide it, so I'm asking you to listen to me." _

_When she had mentioned the letter, he had tensed up, and a flash of anger and hurt went through it, but he also knew she was right about him still loving her. He tried to stop loving her, but he couldn't and had finally accepted that he would always love her no matter what; she would always be his Beautiful and his Pink Princess._

_Seeing it, she hurried out what she was going to say, "I know you're angry, but whenever Kim comes to you to tell you the truth, promise me that you're going to listen to her first before you fly off the handle."_

"_Tri, do you know something about why she wrote that I don't?" he had asked. Then he watched as a soft smile came on her face._

"_You know Kimberly, and deep in your heart you know that she wouldn't have done something like that without a reason, so I want you to promise that you will listen to her when she tells you, ok?"_

"_You mean __**if **__she tells me."_

_She smiled again, "No, I mean when; so promise me."_

_As he looked in her eyes, again he was struck by the sense that she did know more than she was letting on. He suspected that all of them knew. And he conceded that she was right. In his heart of hearts, he knew that the Kimberly he knew and fell in love with wasn't so cruel, so he turned to Trini and said, "I promise."_

_That seemed to be all she wanted and she left, closing the door behind her softly._

_End flashback_

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned back towards the group. He still couldn't believe that Connor was so rude and he voiced his displeasure, "Connor, I think you Kat an apology; that was a very mean thing to say."

"I don't think it was that mean," he replied.

"Well, I do, we all do," Tommy replied, "So do the right thing and apologize."

"Fine," he sighed then turned to Kat, "I don't mean to be rude, I got something unsettling news and I guess I'm taking it out on you, so I'm sorry."

"Did I just hear you use the word unsettling, and correctly I might add?" Ethan asked, "I didn't even think you knew what it meant."

The others laughed, "Oh shut up," Connor said then looked back at Kat expectantly.

Kat shook her head, though deep down, she knew it was more than that, she decided to let it go, "It's ok Connor, no hard feelings."

When she moved forward to hug him however, he turned and walked back out towards the field. Stung from the subtle rejection, she retreated back to the table and picked up a magazine pretending that it never happened. The others looked on in disbelief at Connor's actions, and Kira tried to say something, "Kat I don't think he meant to hurt you; he was telling the truth when he said he received some news that upset him."

She waved away her words, "It's alright Kira; I'm fine. Let's not let this ruin the day. I'm sure he's just going through some stuff." _**'But that still doesn't explain why I'm the only one he's being rude towards.'**_

Wanting to placate her and have an enjoyable day, they pushed it out of their minds. The rest of the day passed without incident. Kat avoided Connor for now, and it didn't seem like he had a problem with it. While the others were still puzzled over Connor's behavior, they decided to let it go and instead focused on the upcoming trip.

A/N: Kim's coming home and Connor's still being rude to Kat. Next chapter, the Reefside gang meets the original rangers

A/N: read and review. I'm having fun with Connor being mean to Kat, so any ideas on how he can be mean, very subtlety of course. It can be simple things, like her asking for help and he refusing. Send your ideas.


	9. Car talks and Introductions

A/N: here's the next chapter; and thanks to all those that reviewed. You guys are awesome

The next few days passed by very quickly; before they knew it was already Sunday, time for them to be heading out. They had all agreed to meet at the café at around noon. Tommy, Kat and Hayley were the first to arrive, and Connor showed up five minutes later with everyone else.

"So how are we going to do this?" Ethan asked.

"Well, I've got Kat and Hayley with me," Tommy said, "Connor, how many people can you hold?"

"I can hold about four, I think," he said.

"I call shotgun," Ethan yelled as he raced around to the passenger side of the car.

"I can ride with Dr O and Hayley," Krista said.

"Alright, everybody got everything?" Tommy asked.

"Yep" they replied.

"Good, let's go."

The drive to Angel Grove was only about an hour, give or take minutes, so everyone took that time to listen to music and talk about the upcoming reunion.

_Connor's Car_

"So Connor," Trent started, "You seemed really excited about this Belle girl coming to see you."

"I am," he paused, "She really is a lot of fun you know. She can make you smile even if you're having the worst day."

"I have a question," Angie said.

"Shoot," Connor replied.

"Why were you so rude to Kat?"

At her question, Connor's hand tightened on the steering wheel. He felt the rush of anger flow through him and tried to control before he did something stupid, like crash his car. Kira leaned forward in her seat and lightly touched his arm. When he relaxed slightly, she felt a small burst of joy, but shook it off and focused on him, "Connor?"

"I just don't like her," he sighed, "If I tell you guys something will you promise to not say anything to anybody?"

The others looked at each other and nodded, but Ethan spoke for all of them, "We promise."

"The truth is I kinda know Kat."

"How," Trent asked.

"Kat said she was living in England for awhile right?"

"Yea"

"Well I had a soccer game over there awhile back," he said, "And let's just say that the way in which I got to know her weren't good."

"Did you guys date or something?" Trent asked stupidly.

"Ew, no that's disgusting," he shuddered, "That would be like Kira with Dr O or you with Michelle."(_A/N: Michelle meaning former Elsa—Elsa's real name was Michelle Santos)_

Trent closed his eyes to ward off the mental picture.

"Look, Kat doesn't know me, and I can't tell you guys what happened or why I hate her," he paused, "At least not yet."

"Alright bro," Ethan said, "But you know you're answering questions later?"

"Yea, besides," he smirked, "I have a feeling all of your questions will be answered at the reunion."

"Why do you say that?" Kira asked.

"Oh, no reason"

Connor had this look on his face. It was the look of someone who had the power to ruin lives and knew that they had it. Simply put, it was a look that was filled with pure mischief.

"You know something don't you," Trent said, "Something big."

"Let's just say this reunion will be that in more ways than one, and there will be more fireworks than the fourth of July."

_Tommy's Jeep_

As the others were talking, Krista looked at Kat and saw that despite the fact she was happy, there seemed to be something bugging her. She also couldn't help but wonder why Connor had been so rude to her since he came back. Before she even realized it, she was asking the question that was on her mind.

"You know, I still can't figure out what's up with Connor."

"I've never known Connor to be that rude," Hayley said.

"Me either," Tommy frowned, "I wonder what that was about."

"I don't know," Kat said softly.

Krista turned to Kat, "Have you ever met Connor?"

"No, this is the first time I've seen him," she replied, then thought to herself, _**'Although, something about him does seem familiar.' **_

"Well if you guys have never even met each other, then why was he acting like that?" Krista asked.

"I don't know," Tommy said, "But I'm going to find out."

After that the ride was quiet. Before they knew it, they pulled up in front of the youth center where they were meeting Jason and the others. When they got out of the car, they saw that Connor and the others were just pulling up.

"Hey Dr O, is this where we're supposed to meet them?" Kira asked.

"Yea let me just—

He started to say but was cut off by a female's voice, "TOMMY!"

That was all the warning he got before a yellow blur rushed into his arms. He looked down and seeing the braids, wrapped his arm around her, "Hey Sha."

He looked up to see the others coming out of the youth center and Rocky shaking his head.

"Sha, could you let go so we could greet him?"

She shook her head stubbornly, "No, if I let go, we won't see him again until a few years or months from now."

"Sha, if you don't let go, I'll call Kim and tell her not to come," Jason said.

At that not only did Aiesha looked towards him, but everyone else except Tommy and the Reefside gang.

"You wouldn't," Adam said.

"Jason, honey I love you," Trini started, "But if you threatened that again you won't have any kids, understand?"

The others laughed at the look on his face, and he nodded. The kids stood there watching their teacher and his friends interact, too stunned to move. Standing in front of them was the original twelve rangers. Seeing the look on the kids face, Zach nudged Tommy, "Forgot something bro?"

Tommy turned and smacked his forehead, "Oh right, guys come here."

They looked too stunned, and couldn't manage more than a few steps.

"Guys there are the DT rangers," He started, "This is Connor, our leader and holder of the T-Rex powers; this is Kira, our yellow Pterodactyl; Ethan, out blue Triceratops; and Trent, our white Drego."

"Well, I guess I'll finish the rest of the introductions," Hayley said, "I'm Hayley, I helped Tommy create the morphers; this is Angie, Ethan's girlfriend and Krista a friend of the kids."

"Ok, since I was the leader, I'll introduce," Jason said, "I'm Jason and I was the original red ranger and the gold zeo; Trini was our first morphin; Billy was the blue morphin and ninjetti, and Zeo tech advisor; Zach was the first morphin black; Aiesha was our second morphin yellow; Adam was our second morphin black, Zeo green and first green Turbo; Rocky was our second morphin, and blue Zeo; Tanya was our yellow Zeo and first yellow Turbo; this is Angela, Zack's girl."

"Hey wasn't there another pink?" Trent asked, "And another blue?"

"Yep, but Justin, our turbo blue, couldn't make it," Tanya said, "And Kim's not going to be here until tomorrow."

"Which I can't wait for," Zach said. At his statement, the others gave shouts of joy and started planning for the return of their friend.

"I take it you guys really miss her," Kira said.

"We haven't seen her in almost a year," Adam said.

"And this reunion won't be any fun until she gets here," Tanya said.

"What's she like?" Ethan asked.

"Oh you guys are going to love her," Rocky said, "She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and she can make a dull situation fun."

"Well from what you guys are saying, she does sound like someone I'd like to meet," Krista said.

Billy turned to Kira and said, "I think you'll like her especially."

"Yea, why is that?"

Trini looked at her, "Well because both you and Kim handled the Pterodactyl powers—

"And she plays the guitar like you do," Tommy said.

"Really" Kira asked.

"Hey why don't we go to the park?" Rocky suggested.

At that everyone turned and walked off towards the park. Zach grabbed his radio, while the others grabbed the rest of the gear. They walked until they came upon their regular hangout, which was a little out of the way, so no one really passed by there. They chose that spot because it gave them a chance to talk freely without any interruptions. They spread the stuff out and relaxed.

A/N: it's kind of short, but I just wanted to get the introductions out of the way

A/N 2: well the gang's excited about Kim coming home. Coming up, Connor continues to be mean to Kat, and someone picks up on the tension radiating from Trini and Aiesha when it comes to Kat

A/N 3: this is as far as I got, but I will be writing more and I probably won't be able to post the next chapter until tomorrow or Thursday, so keep reading and reviewing


	10. Rising suspicions

A/N: yea, I know I said no chapters until Thursday, but I just started typing and before I knew it, I already had it. So I decided to post it. Enjoy

The group sat on the benches and talked. Aiesha and Trini positioned themselves away from Kat and Kira noticed, but thought nothing of it.

"So, I have a question," Ethan said.

"Shoot," Rocky replied.

"Was Dr. O always so serious?"

As they heard the question, the original rangers burst out laughing.

"Tommy, serious" Zack said in between laughter, "You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh man, half the pranks that Zack and I did he started," Jason laughed.

The teens look on in disbelief. "Are you saying that Dr. O pulled pranks in high school; our Dr. O?" Trent asked.

"Did he ever," Zack smiled, "And he was the most forgetful person I have ever met. We tried to help him with it, but I guess we made it worse."

The young adults all laughed at the look on Tommy's face.

"Sure make fun of me why don't you?"

As they were talking and reminiscing, Connor pulled out his soccer ball and started bouncing it on his knees. Rocky nudged Adam and they both looked toward him.

"Hey Connor," Rocky called over towards him, "You any good with that?"

"Yea, you?" he answered.

"Rocky and I were on the soccer team in school," Adam said, "Our team always won."

"Go Havens!!" Aiesha cheered then laughed.

Connor's eyes widened as the name passed Aiesha's lips, "You guys played for the Angel Grove Havens?"

"Yep," Rocky said.

Kira turned to Connor, "You've heard of them before?"

"They were my favorite team growing up, I used beg my parents to drive down here just so I could watch them," he said, "That team was amazing. RD and AP were my favorite though."

When he said that, Aiesha, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Kat, Tommy and Billy all hid their smiles. They knew who he was talking about.

"So they were your favorite huh?" Adam said.

"Yea," he replied, "Wait, why are you guys smiling?"

"We know them," Billy said.

Connor sat up straighter, by now Ethan and the others had started putting two and two together, "You know who 'Daredevil' RD and 'Jumping' AP are?"

"Uhuh," they chorused still smiling. Looking around at each other, then back at Connor, the others couldn't keep from laughing. They wondered how long it would take him to figure it out. Connor looked at them suspiciously before letting his gaze drop on Rocky and Adam, "What did you say your last name was?"

"I didn't," Rocky said, "And it's DeSantos."

"Park," Adam smiled.

If anything, Connor's eyes got wider, "HOLY SHIT!! YOU'RE 'Daredevil' RD AND 'Jumping' AP!!" he yelled.

Everyone burst out laughing at the look on Connor's face.

"Took you long enough bro," Ethan said.

"How did you two get that name?" Krista asked.

"Well Rocky here would always be doing tricks whenever he was practicing and would always pull of a seemingly impossible stunt in a match," Aiesha said, "And Adam would take leaps or kick the ball from such a jump, that the nickname came on."

"Put them together, and you got one hell of a game," Tommy said.

"I can't believe you guys are them," Connor said, "And I can't believe Dr. O knows you guys." He turned to Tommy, "Dr. O why didn't you say something?"

Tommy frowned. Kat had mentioned that she knew them and he didn't seem interested, "Well these are the guys Kat was talking about last week."

"Really?" he shrugged, "I wasn't paying attention."

"Well you had just gotten home," Kat started with a smile, "Your mind was probably—

"Hey do you think I can interest you in a game?" Connor cut her off and spoke to Rocky.

Disregarding the fact that there was now a sudden tension at the bench, Rocky said, "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to school you."

"I think you should be worried about me embarrassing you," Connor smirked.

"Uhm Connor," Kat said, "I don't think that—

Again she was cut off as Connor stood and said to Rocky, "Come on, let me show you how it's done these days." And with that he started off away from the bench, stopping at an open space just a few feet away.

Tanya frowned, "Well that was rude."

"Kat, what did you say to him earlier?" Angela asked.

"Nothing," she replied, "He's been rude to me ever since he got home. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Yeah right," Aiesha murmured under her breath, and Trini, who was sitting next to her and the only one to hear her comment snickered.

Trini adopted an innocent expression and turned towards Kat, "Aww Kat, don't worry, I'm sure it's not the first time some one doesn't like you, he just doesn't know you."

By now it was getting hard for both girls to hold in their laughter, but Aiesha contained it enough to say, "Yea girl, just give him time, he'll come around. And then he'll know exactly what type of person you are; some one sweet and kind-hearted."

"You think so?"

"Yep," Trini said, "Hey Sha, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure girl."

The two girls got up from the bench and walked off. When they were out of sight, they started laughing.

"Oh my God," Trini said, "That was too funny."

"I know," Aiesha replied, "I can't believe you said that about someone not liking her."

"Well you called her sweet and kind-hearted." At that, both girls started laughing again. They finally managed to regain their composure and headed back towards the group. They saw that Connor, Rocky and Adam were just sitting down. "So, who won?" Trini asked.

"It was a tie," Trent said.

By now, the others had noticed how Kat and Tommy were sitting, "Hey bro, something you forgot to tell us?" Jason said.

"Oh didn't you know, they're dating," Connor said bitingly.

Again they wondered at his tone and attitude towards Kat.

"Is this true Kat?" Tanya asked.

The huge smile that appeared on the blonde's face answered her question even before Kat spoke, "Yes, that's what I wanted to tell you guys. We just got back together."

When she said that, Trini and Aiesha both tensed and had looks of disbelief on their faces. After a few minutes, everyone congratulated them and the conversation shifted onto different topics. But Kira noticed that both Trini and Aiesha's mood seemed to change drastically. She could sense this underlying tension and anger coming from the two, which seemed to be directed at both Kat and Tommy. And she wondered at it. As she looked around, she realized that while everyone else was talking, she could sense the same mood change from Connor, and for the first time since meeting the pretty blond, Kira began to suspect that maybe they didn't know her as well as they were led to believe. And vowed to find out what it was that Trini, Aiesha and Connor seemed to think that Kat was hiding.

A/N: so now Kira's becoming suspicious of Kat. Next chapter will be longer because Kim is coming home.

A/N 2: wonder if anyone knows where that Havens thing came in. any guesses? Well you guys know what to do. Just hit that button and read and review


	11. Kim's home and letting Kat know

A/N: here's the next chapter. I know I said it would be longer, but it's not, sorry.

A/N 2: I know that Aiesha's name was spelt without the 'e' on the show, but I read that it can go either way, and a friend of mine spelt it with the 'e'. I thought it was cuter that way. If anybody hates the way it is spelt, let me know and I'll post it without the 'e'. Anyways, enjoy.

_Sunday night_

She looked around her place once more, her gaze sweeping over everything; making sure nothing is forgotten. By this time tomorrow, she would be home with friends and family. She missed them a lot. She also couldn't wait to see Connor again and briefly wondered if Kat was going to cause problems. As it was, she didn't know if she could go the entire reunion without spilling the beans on Kat. Recalling that she had one more thing to do, she placed the last of her suitcases by the door, and went to the phone. She picked it up and dialed a familiar. The phone rang three times before she heard the voice on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me."

"Oh hey sweetie," the person said, "What's up?"

"Well I just called to remind you that I'll be in at about nine," she said, "So do you think you can get me from the airport?"

"Sure," they replied, "And I'll have your gift with me."

"Really," she asked incredulously, "You finished it?"

"Yep"

"What about the other thing?"

"That's been done since two months ago," they said, "And everything is on and working."

"Thanks so much," she said, "Well I have to go and get some rest so I'll see you at nine tomorrow."

"Bye baby, love you."

"Love you too, bye." She hung up the phone and went to get some sleep.

_On the plane_

'_**I can't believe I'm on my way home. I haven't seen everyone in so long. I wonder how Tommy looks.'**_She thought to herself, _**'I'm really excited to see everyone, well almost everyone. I am not looking forward to seeing Kat at all. But I won't let her ruin this trip, I only wonder how long it'll be before her secret comes out. And how do I tell Tommy that the letters were faked? I wonder how he's going to react. Both Sha and Tri said he still have feelings for me, so hopefully this will be a reunion between us as well. Falcon and Crane back together again.' **_

She was broken out of her thoughts by the captain, "Fasten your seatbelts, we are beginning descent at Angel Grove International Airport."

Twenty minutes later, she was off the plane, and going through security. She grabbed her suitcases and looked around for someone. She spotted him standing a few feet and turned towards him and yelled, "Uncle Carson, over here!"

The man in questioned turned towards the voice and spotted his niece standing a couple feet away with her luggage. With a smile on his face he made his way towards her, "Hey sweetie," he said as he hugged her, "Haven't seen you in awhile."

"I know," she said, "So did you bring it?"

"Of course I did," he laughed, "Impatient are we?"

"Uhuh"

"So tell me why one of your friends couldn't come get you," he asked, "I'm sure Jason or Trini would have loved to pick you up?"

"I know, but this way I get to see you and I get my gift," she laughed.

"Good point," he smiled, "Well let's go. It's out front."

"Ok." He helped her with her luggage and turned to walk out. She followed at his side, as she told him about her mom and stepdad. When they reached the parking lot, she let out a squeal at what she saw. Parked in front of them, was a pink and white SUV.

"Ahh, I can't believe it," she exclaimed, "Uncle Carson it looks good."

"I knew you'd like the end result," he said as they approached the car. Kim went over every detail and saw that it was just what she wanted. The front windshield had the words "_Lil Terror_", whereas the back windshield had the word "_Dragon_"; on both sides of the car was the faint image of a falcon and crane in flight. The inside of the car had more colors. Hanging from the rearview mirror was the letter Z, and miniature versions of a yellow tiger, a black lion, a t-rex, and a symbol that represented the yellow zeo ranger. The seat covers were pink with four animals faintly stitched into them; a wolf, frog, bear, and an ape. The car also had the sleekest stereo system, DVD attachments that were accessible from behind the driver and front passenger. All in all, the car was a representation and a tribute to her friends and the legacy that brought them together. Kimberly was in absolute awe.

"Uncle Carson, I love it."

"Good," he said, "Do you want to drive?"

"Hell yes," she exclaimed. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and gave her the keys.

"So where to?" he asked.

"Well I want to stop by the house before I head out to the park," she said, "I want to drop my luggage off and change out of these."

He looked over at her outfit; which was a pair of white, three-inch boots, light blue jeans with a pink floral design, a white strapless top and the matching jacket to her jeans. He shook his head, smiled and said, "Well if you are going to the park, then you do need to change."

"Alright let's go," she smiled. She maneuvered the car out of the busy parking lot and headed off towards her destination. They drove for about 45 minutes before she pulled into a driveway in front of a huge house. The house was three stories high and like the car, was white and pink. Kim looked up in awe and shock. Carson looked over at his niece and smiled to himself at her reaction. Getting out of the car, they both made their way up to the front door.

"Here," he said as he handed her the keys, "I think you should do the honors."

Still in awe, she took the keys and opened the door. She walked through the front doors, she looked around. To her left, she could see the front room; which had a fireplace and about three chairs, with enough space to add more if she wanted. To her left, was a hallway leading to the kitchen and the den. The basement was off to the left of the kitchen, with the bathroom on the opposite side, next to the den. In the den, were a book and DVD shelf, a huge TV, a fireplace, a desk and about two couches, a love seat, and a variety of video games. She checked the basement next, which was like her own personal gym. It had a balance beam, weights, a punching bag, a treadmill and mats. Off to the left, were a bathroom, and a hot tub. Leaving the basement, the upstairs was next. That floor had about five bedrooms, including the master bedroom and each bedroom had its own bathroom. The last and upper floor had five bedrooms and two bathrooms. After touring the house, she made her way back down to where her uncle was staying.

"This is absolutely beautiful Uncle Carson," she said, "I love it."

"I'm glad," he said, "Well, while it was nice seeing you, I have to get back to the store, but I'll see you over the week, right?"

"Thanks for everything Uncle Carson," she hugged him, "And yes, you'll see me again."

"Bye Kim," he kissed her on the cheek, "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Ok," she smiled, "Bye." She closed the door behind him and went up to her room to change. She switched her boots for comfortable tennis shoes, her jeans for shorter ones, and her pink strapless shirt for a pink and white tank top which had the original rangers on it. She decided to leave her hair, which fell about mid back, down, grabbed her shades and bag and headed out to the park to meet her friends.

…

By now it was twelve noon, and the others had already grabbed something to eat and were hanging out at the park waiting for Kimberly to arrive.

"So what time did Kim say she was meeting us?" Billy asked.

"I think she said that she'll meet us at our spot a little after twelve," Zack said, "So she should be here soon."

"So what do we do in the mean time?" Rocky asked.

"I say relax," Krista said.

"Same here," Kira said, "At least until Kim gets here."

Connor, Trent and Ethan were fooling around, chasing one another across the park with water guns. The others looked on at the three young men acting like kids.

"You know, looking at them," Hayley started, "You'd never think that they are young adults."

"I know huh?" Aiesha said, "But don't worry, Rocky here still acts like a kid."

"Hey," he started, "I don't—

At the look on her face, he stopped. The others laughed as Aiesha shook her head as if to say that's what I thought. The looked up to see Connor and the others heading back towards them. As they neared the others, two blondes passed by. They both looked Connor over, but he seemed to pay no attention to them. Kira, Trent, and Ethan exchanged looks with each other. They had expected Connor to be flirting with them both.

"Connor, you just ignored two girls," Ethan said, "Who, according to your standards is extremely hot."

"What can I say?" he said, "Blonde's don't interest me."

"Since when?" Trent asked.

He shrugged and sat down across from Kat. He grabbed a water bottle before he answered, "Well, I just don't like blondes. They always want something, and they don't care what they do or who they hurt to get what they want."

By now the others had turned their attention to him, and Kat started to feel apprehensive. _**'Why do I feel as if he's talking about me? I mean there's no way that he could know what I did, could he? Breathe Kat, your probably blowing things out of proportion. Cause there is no way that Connor knows anything when the others doesn't know.'**_

"Why do you say that Connor?" Tanya asked.

"Well, I know this blonde. She's ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants and she doesn't care who she hurts. She uses low, dirty tactics to get her way and to hell with everyone else. See, some blondes pretend to be all ditzy and friendly when in reality they are just lulling you into believing them, into a fall sense of security, before they hurt you. And you never see it coming."

"Sounds like you've had experience," Trini said suspiciously. What he was describing sounded too much like Kat. Looking at the blonde, she noticed the discomfort on Kat's face.

"A blond, blue-eyed girl named Ca…" he started, noticing the deer in the headlights look from Kat, "Name Cassidy."

Kat let out the breath she was holding, _**'See Kat, no reason to be worried, it wasn't you' **_she thought to herself. She tensed as she heard Connor start to speak again. She looked up and realized he was looking directly at her.

"But you know what I learned from Cassidy," He said while looking at Kat.

"What?" Kira asked.

"That being ruthless and deceiving is not a good thing and that secrets always come out," he said, "Always."

'_**He knows. He knows what I did. Oh my God how did he know?'**_

Trini had a smile on her face as she glanced from Connor to Kat, "You know what Connor, you're absolutely right, secrets always come out," she turned to Aiesha, "Don't you think so Sha?"

"Uhuh," Having caught on to her thoughts and her look, Aiesha smiled, "Secrets do have a nasty way of coming out. And the worse the secret—

"The bigger the blowout," Connor finished.

'_**Why are they looking at me? They couldn't possibly know could they?' **_ She looked towards Aiesha and Trini, and even though they were smiling, the eyes seemed accusing. That's when it hit her, _**'Oh my God, they know. I should have expected that she would tell those two, but what about Connor. What am I going to do? I can't lose Tommy or my friends.'**_

She was broken out of her thoughts by Trini's voice, "Kat are you ok?"

"Yea you're starting to look a little pale," Aiesha said, "Are you worried about something?"

"No I'm fine."

"OK, if you say so."

"You know, I hate people like that," Angela, Zack's girl said.

"Like what?" Angie asked.

"That pretend to be your friend and then they betray you, and in the worst way possible."

"How'd we get on this topic anyway?" Kat asked desperately, "You guys are bringing down the mood."

"Well we were talking about Connor's lack of response to the two blondes."

Looking at his watch, Adam said, "I wonder where Kim is?"

"I don't know, she should have been here by now," Tommy said, to the surprise of the others, "What?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think you had it in you bro," Jason said.

"Well I decided to listen to you guys and be civil and to talk before getting angry," he said.

"Wow, you finally remembered something," Tanya said.

The others laughed at the look on his face. The laughter was cut by Trent, "Hey who's that coming over here?"

The others turned to where he was looking, and saw the petite brunette that was their friend heading towards them.

"KIMBERLY!!" Rocky shouted before taking off towards her.

A/N: so Kim's home, finally. And Connor, Trini and Aiesha let Kat know that they know. Things are getting interesting.

A/N 2: Read and review. Next chapter should be posted by tonight or Friday.


	12. Welcome home Kim

A/N: so here's the next chapter like I promised. I had a lot of fun writing it. Hope you guys like it. Enjoy

Kimberly had arrived at the park at about 12:15 p.m.; when she pulled into the parking lot, she saw that the others had already arrived. She coincidentally parked her car between Tommy's jeep and Jason's car. She walked into the youth center looking around at the changes and seeing if the other were there or already at the park. She saw Ernie at the counter and walked up to him. His back was to her, so with a smile she said, "Hey Ernie can I have my usual?"

Ernie turned in shock as he heard the voice behind. Hoping his eyes weren't deceiving him, he said, "Kimberly?"

"In the flesh," she giggled. _**'Gee does that sound familiar or what?'**_

Ernie came from around the counter to wrap his arms around her, "When did you get back?"

"Today, I'm meeting the others," she answered, "By the way, have you seen them?"

"Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Aiesha, Adam, Rocky, Tanya and Zach's girl Angela were here earlier, but they left to go to the park."

"Thanks."

"It's good to see you home Kimberly," Ernie said hugging her, "want me to ring up your usual?"

She laughed, "No I'm good, maybe later though, because you know Rocky's going to get hungry."

"That boy is always hungry," he smiled, "Well make sure I see you guys sometime soon. I miss seeing you on the beam, while Tommy and Jason are sparring and the others at the tables."

"I miss it too," she said, "More than you know."

"Well you should get going," he smiled, "And when you see Tommy tell him I said hi."

"Don't you mean _**if**_?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No I mean when," he smiled again, "After all, this is turning into quite the reunion, don't you think?"

'_**What does he mean by that? He couldn't possibly know could he?**_ She looked up into his eyes, and saw the truth there, "Ernie, what do you know?"

"Just saying how everyone from the old days are showing up, so it stands to reason that Tommy would too," he continued, "It's funny, Tommy lived here, when the first rangers came, and then he lived in Reefside, which coincidently had a team of rangers. Like I said, it's turning into quite the reunion, old and new meeting."

She smiled not all that shock, and said, "You know don't you?"

He laughed then leaned in closer, "It wasn't that hard really, you guys hung together, wore the same colors as the rangers, and when there was a monster attack, the moment you left, the power rangers showed up, and when they left, you guys came back."

"Were we that obvious?"

"No, but you forget, I knew you and the others since you were kids," he started, "so I paid closer attention to you guys because I cared about you. So it wasn't hard to notice how close you guys got whenever someone new came to the group and the colors that they wore."

"You know, we always said that if there was one person we wanted to know who we were, it would be you."

"Oh yea?" he questioned, "Why?"

"Well I think it was because we were always running off," she giggled, "Leaving our food, or not paying entirely. We thought that if you knew, you'd understand why."

"I do, and I'm proud of you guys," he said.

"Thanks. Do the others know that you know?"

"Nope"

"Ok, well I'll give them the heads up," she smiled, "See you Ernie."

"Bye Kim," he waved, "Stop by again sometime soon."

"You know it," she said then waved as she went through the doors and headed out towards the park. As she walked through the park, memories came to her. Their first real battle, the first time they used the zords, her first kiss with Tommy, him getting kidnapped, good and bad memories, but she realized that she wouldn't change them for anything. As she walked, he let her memory guide her feet as Ernie's comment came back to her, _"It's funny; Tommy lived here, when the first rangers came, and then he lived in Reefside, which coincidentally had a team of rangers."_

'_**Reefside, now why does that sound so familiar? I know I've heard it somewhere before, but where? Think Kim, think. You know you've heard it, but where?'**_ she stopped and shook her head, _**'Well I'm going to remember sometime.'**_

She sighed and continued walking. She looked around trying to spot the others when out of the corner of her eye she saw them. She smiled when she realized that they were all wearing their specific color, or in some case colors. Unnoticed, she took a moment to watch them. Her brow furrowed when she saw Kat sitting very close to Tommy. _**'No, they couldn't be together. Tri and Sha would've told me.'**_ She thought, but then she remembered that both Trini and Aiesha said that Kat had something she wanted to tell them. _**'Is this what her surprise was? I can't believe they got back together. Ok get a grip Kim, you can't let them bring your entire week down. I mean, sure I came back for Tommy, but I also came home to be with my friends as well—**_she was broken out of her thoughts by a familiar figure, "Wait, is that…" she started. She looked on as the person turned more towards her, and when they did her mouth dropped open in shock, "That is Connor, but what's he doing here?" even as she asked, pieces of conversations came back to her;

"…_a reunion with Tommy's team next week," Jason said._

"…_he lives in Reefside which coincidentally had power rangers," Ernie said._

"…_I'll give you a tour of my home town…Reefside: home of the Connor McKnight Soccer Camp."_

Kim laughed to herself silently as she thought it over, _**'Wow, we were both rangers and we didn't even know.'**_ She shook her head and made her way towards them. All of a sudden the young guy in white pointed at her and she saw the others look over at. Then she heard, "KIMBERLY!!" She smiled as she saw Rocky running straight towards her. Within minutes, she was in his arms in the tightest hug she'd ever had, "Hey Rocko."

"Hey sis," he said, "Welcome home."

He released her and they made their way to the others. She let her gaze sweep over everyone and she realized something. _**'Why is Connor not surprised to see me?' **_she frowned, _**'I'm surprised to see him.' **_ As she drew closer, she did see that Connor wasn't that surprised to see her. _**'The only reason I can think of is that—**_she stopped as soon as the thought popped into her head, "He knows."

"What was that Kim?" Rocky asked. She looked at him, not realizing that she had spoken out loud.

"Nothing," Kim said getting angry. _**'A ranger is going to die. I can't believe he knows I was a ranger and he didn't tell me. Connor Jayden McKnight, you are so dead!'**_ Rocky realized that his little sister was angry and wondered at it. As they neared the others he watched as she walked away from him and straight over to the Dino teens.

…

Connor and the others were looking at where Rocky had run to. They saw him embrace the woman and then make their back over to them.

"She's really beautiful," Krista said.

"Yes she is," Connor replied with a smile. The others looked over at him, recalling how he was when he met Kat. Kat herself couldn't contain the flash of anger or jealousy that went through her. _**'I can't believe this, when we met he didn't even smile at me. Now he's looking at her like she's some damn royalty or something.'**_ She shifted her gaze, and realized that Tommy was looking at her the same way. This in turn made Kat fume, _**'He's with me and he's looking at her like a man desperately in love. Why does everything have to be about Kimberly?' **_As everyone looked on, they watched as Kim stopped in her tracks.

"Uh oh," Billy said, "She looks angry." The others looked and they could see the anger in her eyes. They watched as she walked away from Rocky and headed straight to the Dino rangers.

…

Tommy looked up when he heard Trent's voice. He laughed to himself as he saw Rocky run over to Kim. He stopped laughing when he saw her. The jean shorts she wore took him back to their high school days when he couldn't keep his eyes off her legs or ass. He felt a jolt go through him, when he realized that she was wearing a pink and white tank top that hugged her upper body, but was still loose enough for her to move in. _**'My God she looks beautiful,'**_ he thought to himself. Her hair was down, just the way he always loved it. He had always loved to see her wear his color, it made him feel possessive, like she was letting the world know that she belonged to him only. He looked down at his own clothes; a white under shirt, with a black shirt, unbuttoned over it and blue jeans; and saw that while he had touched four colors, white was dominant over the others. He looked around and noticed the others standing up, and stood as well. He saw the looks of confusion on the others face and turned back to Kimberly; only to see the anger on her face and to watch as she walked over to the Dino rangers.

…

Kimberly marched away from Rocky and headed straight to Connor. She watched as he stood up and stopped right in front of him. She knew everyone was watching them, but she couldn't care. She was angry. Connor realized that Kim was coming to him and that she was angry. _**'How do I get out of this now? She probably realizes that I'm not shocked to see her. So what am I to do?'**_ out loud he said, "Hi."

Kim drew back her fist and punched him in the stomach, not enough to actually hurt him but to let him know she was pissed, "Don't you 'hi' me!" she punched him again.

"Ow, Kim what did I do?" he said clutching his stomach. The others were still looking on in shock and confusion, wondering if they missed something.

"You know what you did," she said, "I can't believe this. You knew, you knew and didn't say anything."

By now Connor had caught on to what she was saying, "I didn't know the entire time I swear."

"Why should I believe you?" Kim asked.

"Because I'm telling the truth," he said, "Come on Kim, you know that if I had known something I would have told you. I really didn't know. As it was I just found out."

Kim looked in Connor's eyes, and she could see that he was telling the truth, but that didn't mean she was going to make it easy on him. Turning away so that he couldn't see the smile growing on her face, she ignored him and went over to say hi to the others.

"Aww, Kim come on," Connor said as he followed her, "I'm sorry, ok I know I should have told you sooner but…" he trailed off as she whirled around, this time she had lost the smile.

"What do you mean you should've told me earlier?" she hissed. Connor winced as he heard that tone in her voice, knowing that he was so close to her forgiving him. "How long have you known Connor?"

"A while now," he said, "Since last week."

Kim looked at him, trying to figure out how he could have found out and when. She furrowed her brow as she thought about it, then it hit her. She looked up at him with a glare which caused him to take a step back, "When last week? Was it before or after I called you?"

"Before," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked with her hand on her hips. Trini and the others winced when they saw that. Her hand on her hips meant that she was becoming extremely pissed.

"Before you called," he said looking into her eyes, "I found out before you called."

"So when I asked if anything new had happened, you already knew?" she asked and he nodded, "And you said nothing?" she raised her fist and hit him again. The others couldn't keep the amusement off their faces as they watched her beat him and saw him cower away.

"Ow Kim seriously, did you really want me to tell you something like over the phone?" he said as he grabbed her hands.

"You could have found a way," she yelled.

"I know and I'm sorry, I really am," he said, "Forgive me?"

She turned away again and thought about it. She supposes she couldn't be angry because he was right. She wouldn't have told someone over the phone that she knew about them being a ranger; you never know who could be listening to the conversation. She thought about it, and realized she wasn't angry, just ticked that he had lied, but she understood why he couldn't tell her then. It's not like he knew the entire two years they'd known each other. So she forgave him, not that he would know that. _**'I'm not going to tell him just yet, might as well have some fun.'**_ She thought. Then she smiled. When Trini and the others saw it, they knew she was up to something. She said nothing else to Connor as she once again made her way over to Trini and Aiesha. Behind her she heard Connor's voice pleading with her, "Come on Kim, I said I was sorry." She laughed to herself and moved to hug the others. Trini and Aiesha wrapped their arms around her and said, "Girl you are so mean and you owe us an explanation."

"I know," she giggled, "But not yet, I'm having fun." She moved to Jason, "hey Rex."

"Hey Terror," he said as he hugged her, "You have some explaining to do missy."

She laughed then hugged Adam and Zack next, followed by Billy and Angela. She reached Tanya who had her arms folded across her chest, "You are going to explain a lot of things to me; you know that right?"

"Yep," she said, "Now am I going to get a hug, or not?"

Tanya laughed, "Welcome home girl, I missed you."

"Angela," she smiled as she hugged her, "Keeping my brother in line?"

"You know it," she said then they both laughed as they heard Zack protesting. They watched as she came up to Kat and Tommy. The others looked on wondering what she was going to do. She looked at Kat and Tommy before moving forward and giving Kat a one-armed hug, "Hey Kat."

"Hey Kim," she forced a smile, "Welcome home."

"It's good to be home," Kim said then turned to Tommy who still held one of Kat's hands in his own. She looked at him, then shook her heard and with a smile threw her arms around his neck. Tommy automatically dropped Kat's hand to her surprise and wrapped both arms around Kim's waist, then whispered in her ear, "Welcome home Beautiful."

"It's good to be home Handsome," she whispered back then let him go. She turned towards the teens, smiling as she took them in. she recognized them all from the picture that Connor of them at prom, "So, who's who?" though she already knew.

"This is Kira, Trent, Ethan, Krista, Angela, Hayley," he said pointing to each as he called their names, "And Connor." He frowned.

"Whoa, were all these rangers?" she laughed. It really was a lot of fun pretending she knew nothing.

"No, Angela is Ethan's, the dino blue, girlfriend. Krista is a friend and Hayley was our tech advisor," he said, "She helped me create their morphers."

"OK," she said then moved forward to hug each one. When she got to Connor, she just looked at him and turned away. But Connor had seen the smile on her face, and grabbed her arm to turn her around, "You love messing with me don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Her smile was becoming too hard to contain.

"Yes you do," he said starting to smile. He forgot how much she loved making him sweat, "You enjoy making me sweat. I already said I was sorry, now you're just being mean."

She started laughing. She couldn't help it. He just looked to adorable and funny when he pouted, "Ok, ok, I forgive you."

He laughed then opened his arms for a hug. Kim rolled her eyes but laughed and stepped into his embrace, "I missed you Kim."

"I missed you too Connor," she said, "But hey we're both here, coincidentally, with two weeks with each other and our friends and family."

"Yep," he said, and then to the shock of the others, kissed her forehead before continuing, "It'll be just like old times."

Trini couldn't take it anymore so she said, "Ok, what the hell is going on?"

"Yea, how do you two know each other?" Aiesha asked.

Kim and Connor looked at each other and shook their heads and laughed, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Kim said.

"Oh yeah," Jason asked with his arms folded, ranger or not, that guy knew his baby sister and he wanted to know how, "Try us."

"Well…" she started.

A/N: well you have it. I'll have the next chapter in the next two days, maybe earlier, the end of the week at the latest. So read and review.

A/N 2: thought it would be cool to mention Ernie. Anyways R and R plz.


	13. Fun and truths

A/N: hey guys. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. It took me like 32 pages or so. I think you guys might like it. Oh and I know I forgot in the prologue but here's how old everyone is;

Connor, Kira, Trent, Ethan, Krista and Angie: 19

Jason, Tommy, Hayley, Zack, Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya: 28

Kim, Billy, Trini, Aiesha, and Angela: 27

A/N 2: hope it's not too long and I hope you guys enjoy it.

The others looked at Kim and Connor, who still had their arms wrapped around each other, with an expectant look on their faces. Kim looked up at Connor, her eyes asking if he wanted to answer, but he smiled and with a small shake of his head said that she started it, so she should finish it. "Coward," she muttered under her breath. He heard her and smiled. Tommy looked on with a frown. He didn't like the way Connor had his arms around Kim, or the silent communication that seemed to pass between the two of them. He couldn't control the jealousy that rose up in him, but tried. When Kim looked around, she saw that Trini and Aiesha had an amused expression on their face, Billy and the others had a confused one, Jason looked wary, his posture showed her that he had slipped into big brother mode, and Kat looked almost joyful about something. However, it was the last two people that surprised her. Both Tommy and Kira had looks of jealousy in their eyes. She was surprised at that because she knew that Tommy was with Kat and Kira with Trent. She looked back at Connor and subtly shifted her eyes towards the two. Connor looked around at the others, pausing briefly on the two before looking back down at her. He had a smile on his face and shook his head. Kim frowned, and asked with her eyes, '_What do you know?'_

He answered back just as much, '_I'll tell you later.'_ Out loud she said, "Ok."

"Now that the two of you have had your silent conversation," Tanya said, "Care to answer Sha's question?"

"OH, well it's actually not that big of deal," Kim started.

"Let us be the judge of that," Jason said.

"Well, it was about two years ago, and I was walking down a street in Paris. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and I walked into someone."

_Flashback_

'_**Ugh, I am so late,' **__Kim thought, __**'I can't believe how much time has passed, my mom is going to kill me.'**__ She was so into her thoughts that she didn't realize she had walked into someone. "I am so sorry."_

"_It's no problem," the person said, "Here let me help you."_

"_Thanks," Kim said as she accepted his help to collect her stuff, "I really am sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention."_

"_It's cool, don't worry about it."_

"_Well thanks again but I've got to go," Kim told him and took off, not realizing that she had forgot her tiny purse."_

_Connor looked up at where the woman was going. He shook his head and turned to take off when something on the ground caught his eyes. He picked it up and realized that the woman had dropped it and took off after her. Meanwhile, up ahead, Kim was digging through her bag looking for the same purse, not realizing that someone was following her. As she passed by an alley, she felt someone grab her from behind and pushed her against the wall, with their hands over her mouth, "Scream and I'll kill you."_

_Connor saw her up ahead and opened his mouth to call out when he saw the guy walking behind her. At first he paid no attention, but when the guy pulled her into an alley, he broke out into a run. He got there in time to see him trying to rip her shirt from her body, and without thinking delivered a sharp kick to his back. The man staggered away from Kim and whirled around at Connor. Kim couldn't believe her eyes. She thought no one had seen her and that she would definitely be dead before anyone would know what happened. She watched as the guy dropped into a stance, eerily similar to the way she used to do when she was a ranger. __**'That's ridiculous Kim; he probably took martial arts training or something.' **__The man had become absorbed in Connor that he paid no attention to her. She waited for an opportunity, and got it when he dove after Connor. She watched as Connor twisted out of his and sent him backwards with a kick. As he came stumbling back to her, she used a move that she had seen Tommy do before and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head. As the man collapsed, she looked up at Connor, smiled and said, "What do you say we get out of here before he comes to."_

"_Sounds like a plan to me," he said, "I'm Connor."_

"_Kim," she said, "How did you know?"_

"_This," he said as he gave her the purse back._

"_Thanks again," Kim smiled, "Can I buy you dinner as a thank you?"_

_A very beautiful woman was offering to buy him dinner, who was he to refuse, "Sure. Hey how did you know how to do that?"_

_She laughed as they walked back towards the street, "Well…."_

_End flashback_

The others had their mouths opened in shock, the next thing Connor and Kim knew, a flurry of questions was coming towards them,

"How did…"

"Are you…"

"Why didn't you say something?"

She held up her hands, "Guys, guys, one at a time please."

"OK," Jason started, "It's been two years Kim so tell me, why the hell I'm just finding out about this?" the others nodded their heads.

"Because if I had told you," she started, "If I had told any of you, you probably would have asked Andros to teleport to you to France."

"Damn straight we would have," Rocky said.

"And then what?" she asked, "You would've kicked the guy's ass and probably end up in jail."

"No we wouldn't have," Zack said.

"Yea," Adam started, "We would've just asked Billy to make him a wanted felon."

"And I would've have done it to," Billy smiled.

Kimberly shook her head, "You guys are unbelievable."

"No, we're just protective," Jason said, "What if Connor wasn't there Kim?"

"Did you think about what would happen," Kat said, "You were careless and what if you had gotten hurt?"

Kim couldn't believe it. _**'What the hell does that mean?' that girl has a lot of nerve to talk to me like that, in such a condescending tone.' **_Kim stepped out of Connor's embrace and had such a glare on her face that Kat stepped back, "Are you trying to imply that I don't know how to take care of myself?"

The others winced at the tone in her voice, it was anger, "No Kim," Kat said, "I'm just saying—

"I heard what you said Kat, and frankly I disagree," Kim cut her off, "Does everyone feel this way?" she looked around at the others.

"Kim, it's not that," Tommy said, which cause her to look at him, "We're just worried that you came so close to having something happened to you, and that none of us were there to help you."

"Guys, I know how to take care of myself ok," Kim said, "How could I not? I was taught martial arts by you guys remember."

"We do," Tommy said again, "I guess we just care and worry about you."

At that Kim looked at him. She raised her eyebrow as if to ask, '_Does that still include you as well?'_

Seeing the question in her eyes, he said, "Of course it does."

Kim shrugged and looked back at him, her eyes asking another question, _'Just thought with everything that happened between us…'_

Tommy cocked his head to the side and smiled, _'Doesn't matter. We're friends and always will be.'_

"Of course what does?" Kat asked with a frown. She didn't like the way they were looking at each other. Kim and Tommy looked at each other again and seemed to be having another conversation with their eyes, which went like this;

'_You want to tell her?' Kim said._

'_I don't know is it any of their business?' he said, 'But it's up to you.'_

Out loud Kim said, "Nothing, it's not important." Tommy didn't know why but he felt disappoint flash through him when she said that. Seeing it, Kim said, "I was just wondering about something and Tommy gave me the answer I was looking for."

Tommy couldn't help it, he smiled. Trini and Aiesha looked on in interest, looked at each other then smiled. They both knew that Kim was still in love with Tommy and him her. They always had a connection between the two of them and it seemed that even after all these years the connection was still there and quite possibly stronger than ever. "Just like riding a bike," Trini said which caused Kim to look over at her and smile.

"OK, but that was two years ago," Tanya said, "You guys act like you've seen each other a lot more recently."

Kira was looking at the two; something about her voice seemed familiar. She also couldn't contain the jealousy that flashed through her. She saw how close the two were and wondered if there was something more than friendship between the two. Honestly, everyone was wondering the same thing. But Tanya was right though, that was more than two years ago, so why did it seem like they've talked to each other recently. Kira frowned as she tried to remember something. _**'What it is? Something I'm trying to remember but can't. Wait a minute, Kim said she came from Paris, and she said that she called Connor last week, but the only person that Connor talked to last week was…**_

"Oh my God," she said catching the attention of everyone, "You're Belle, Connor's friend from France."

"Wait, you're the one that threatened to kill Connor?" Ethan asked.

"Uhuh," Kim answered with a smile, "And I'm also the one Kira was talking to last Friday."

"Kim and I have been living together on and off the first year and a half after we met, then I permanently moved in with her like about seven months ago," Connor said.

"Wait, this is the Jay that you're always talking about?" Aiesha asked.

"Yep"

"Wait a minute," Billy said, "Are you disclosing that you have been cohabitating with this youthful individual along the timeline of two years?"

The original rangers looked in confusion and automatically turned to Trini for a translation, but before she could say anything, Kim was already answering, "Yep that's exactly what I'm saying Billy."

Trini and the others turned to Kim in shock. They couldn't believe that she understood what Billy had said. "What?" she asked.

"Did you just understand what Billy said?" Tanya asked.

"Sure," Kim shrugged, "All he asked was if I was saying that I've been living with Connor for the past two years."

"Since when do you understand Billy?" Jason asked.

"Since we were kids," Kim turned to Billy, "That sounds about right, right?"

"Yes, it does," Billy said.

"WHAT!!" Trini shrieked, "Are you telling me that you could understand Billy all those times?"

"Well not exactly," Kim said.

"What do you mean 'not exactly?" Rocky asked.

"Well, I couldn't always understand Billy," Kim paused and then looked at Billy, "It wasn't until his mom died, that I started understanding him."

Trini, Jason and Zack softened their features in memory of Billy's mom, while the others looked confused. Seeing, Jason said, "Billy's mom died when we were seven years old, and Billy tried pulling away from us…"

"…but Kim wouldn't let him," Zack said.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"Well…" Kim started.

_Flashback_

_Seven year old Kimberly walked into the classroom without a smile on her face. It has been a week since Billy's mom died, and four days since her funeral. The funeral on Saturday was very sad, even though the place was sunny and warm. Kim was upset because her best was hurting and she didn't know how to comfort him. She looked around and saw Jason, Trini and Zack sitting at the back table. She dragged her bag along the floor and walked over to them. _

"_Hey guys," she said._

"_Hey Kimmy," Zack said. She hated being called Kimmy, but she didn't say anything about it today. She sat next to Jason and asked, "Do you think Billy's going to come today?" Seven year old Jason looked over at the tiny girl he called his baby sister. She looked so sad. For as long as he could remember, his 'sis' always had a smile on her face, but today like every other day since Billy's mom died, she didn't. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said, "I don't know Kim, he hasn't been here since we heard she died, so I don't think he's going to be here today."_

"_I just wish there was something I could do to help him," Kim sighed._

"_Me too Kim," Trini said._

_After the teacher came in and started her lesson plan. The four of them hardly paid attention, but their teacher didn't mind. She knew that they were hurting for their friend. By the time lunch came around, Kim was getting frustrated and angry. After lunch, when they were headed back to class, she got into an argument with the others, "I don't care Jase, he shouldn't be alone right now."_

"_Kim he's not alone," he said, "He has his dad."_

"_But he should have us too," she answered._

"_He knows we're here Kimberly," Trini said rubbing her hand up and down Kim's arm, "Maybe he just needs time."_

"_Yea Kim," Zack said, "When he's ready to talk he'll come to us."_

"_But what if he doesn't?" she asked, "He needs us now. He's already pulling away and I won't let him." And with that she took off. She ran to their class, picked up her book bag and walked back out the door. "Kimberly, where are you going?" The teacher and Jason asked._

"_To Billy's," she said, "And you're not stopping me." Jason looked to go after her, but the teacher stopped him and told the others that she couldn't let all of them go, they would have to wait until after school. Jason sighed. He didn't like the idea of his little sister off by herself, but he knew she was right. Billy was pulling away from them, that much was very obvious. Jason remembered himself, along with Trini and Zack crying, but both Billy and Kimberly weren't crying. And Kimberly had looked like she wanted to cry; her eyes were full of tears that she didn't let go._

_Mr. Cranston was sitting at his kitchen table when he heard the pounding on the door. He got up and went to open it. When he did, he saw Kimberly standing there. Looking at his watch, he asked her, "Kimberly, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"_

"_I came to see Billy Papa Cranston," she answered, "And I'm not leaving until I do." David Cranston looked down at the short girl in front of him. He always knew she was stubborn, and knew she wouldn't leave until she got her way. He had no intention of turning her away, as he was hoping that she would somehow get Billy to open up. So he moved aside so that she could come in, "he's in his room."_

"_Thanks Papa C," she answered then went up the stairs to Billy's room. As she got there, she opened the door slowly and stuck her head inside, "Billy?" she called out. She pushed the door open and walked in to see Billy sitting on the bed, looking off into space, holding a picture in his hands. He turned to look at her for a second before he turned his gaze to the picture. Kim took a step towards the bed and sat down beside him, "How are you Billy? We missed you in school today." He didn't answer. He just sat there looking at the picture. Kim looked over and realized that it was a picture of them and his mom. It was taken during Easter and they were all in the picture, Billy's mom included who had her arms wrapped around her son. They were all smiling and looked very happy. Looking at the picture, you wouldn't believe that less than month later, she would die. Kim said nothing. She just sat there with her hand on his shoulder. Waiting until he said something, "What are you doing here Kimberly?"_

"_I came to see you," she said, "To see how you were doing."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because you're my best friend, and you're hurting," she answered, "And I refuse to let you push me away."_

_Billy looked at her. He realized that she had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't crying. He remembered that she didn't cry at the funeral either. For some reason he got angry, "Why didn't you cry?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_At the funeral," he said angrily, "You didn't cry. Why, was my mother not worth your tears?"_

"_No Billy that's not it."_

"_Then why huh?" he yelled, "Are you better than others? Deciding not to cry for someone who was nice to you?" in his anger, he spoke as clear as day; never reverting to his techno talk._

"_No," she said as she stood up, "That's not why at all."_

"_Well then what was it?" he said icily, "Perfect Kimberly, have both her parents, never know what pain feels like, yea, why should you cry for me or my mother. After all I'm a geek right? Couldn't ruin her clothes or lose your friends by crying for the geek?"_

"_Now Billy you know that's not true," she said._

"_Well then tell me," He yelled again, "Jason cried, Tri and Zack did, even my dad did but you didn't. You didn't want to waste you tears on us?"_

"_I didn't cry because…"_

"_Because what?"_

"_BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T!!" she yelled._

"_What?" Billy asked shocked._

"_I wanted to cry so badly," she said with tears running down her cheeks, "But I couldn't. I looked over at you and I saw that you weren't crying. I knew the others were, and I didn't want you to feel bad. I didn't want you to hurt anymore. So I said I wouldn't cry unless you did." She walked up to him and touched his cheek, "I couldn't stand to see you so sad, and there was nothing I could do about it."_

_His lower lip trembled, "Is it bad to say I hate her?"_

"_No," Kim shook her head, "Because I hate her too. I hate that she left you all alone, I hate that you're hurting. I hate that she gave up and didn't fight to stay with you."_

"_I just miss her Kim," he said softly, then wiped the tears that ran down his cheeks, "if I cry, then that means that she's really gone, and it means that I'm not strong enough. I want to be strong for my dad. He's just so sad and he cries a lot."_

_Kim grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed, "it's ok to cry Billy."_

"_No it's not."_

"_Yes it is," she said, "Crying doesn't mean you're not strong, and I know you want to be strong for your dad, but you don't have to be strong now. I won't tell anyone. I'll even cry with you."_

_When she said that, Billy couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He collapsed into Kim's arms and cried, "I miss her so much. I just want her back."_

"_I know Billy," she cried._

"_It's…not…fair," he said in between sobs. Kim wrapped her arms around him tighter and cried with him. She didn't say anything after that, she just let him cry. After a few minutes, he lifted his head and looked at her, "You're crying."_

"_I told you I wouldn't cry unless you did."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because, you my big brother Billy," she said still crying, "And I want you to share this with me."_

"_You mean that?" he asked, and watched as she nodded. Jason had always been her big brother, so to hear her call him that had him crying again. The two laid there, wrapped in each others arms, crying silently until they fell asleep. Mr. Cranston came up to check on them and saw Kim rubbing her eyes with one hand and rubbing Billy's head with the other. _

"_Is he ok?" _

"_Yea, he just fell asleep awhile ago."_

"_I didn't mean to wake you up."_

"_It's ok," she said, "What time is it?"_

"_A little after two," he said, "I assume the others are going to be here?"_

_As she nodded, they heard the doorbell. Billy's dad left to go answer it. He opened the door and saw the other three standing there, "Can we come in?" Jason asked._

"_Sure," he said. He moved and watched as they headed up to the room where his son was. He was very thankful that his son had friends like that. Jason and the others opened the door to see Kimberly sitting with Billy lying on her lap asleep, holding one of her hands in both of his. Jason moved to sit to her side and slightly behind her so that she could lean back against him. Zack moved to sit on her other side, and moved Billy's feet into his lap; wrapped one arm around Kim so that he was touching Jason, leaned his head on her shoulder, and placed the other arm over Billy's stomach, so that he was holding the hand that had Kimberly's hand. Trini sat on Jason's other side, and immediately his free arm went around her waist. She reached behind Jason's back to grab Kim's hand that was around his waist and placed her other hand on Billy, connecting the five of them. When Mr. Cranston came up to check on them, he saw the position that they were in, and grabbed his camera to take a picture. He smiled at them all, as his gaze moved across the five of them. His eyes stopped on his son, and realized that this was the first time since his wife died that his son got a good sleep. His eyes moved up to the short brunette that was nestled between Jason and Zack. He knew that somehow Kim had gotten Billy to open up and allow the others near him, and he was grateful. She was the glue that held them all together; the heart of the five of them. Funny, he mused, considering her last name is 'Hart'. He wondered if Kimberly knew just how much she meant to them. He walked out of the room, closing the door softly and left to make phone calls to the kids' parents._

_End Flashback_

"Wow," Aiesha said, "I'm sorry Billy." The others nodded.

"It's ok," Billy said, "I'm just grateful that Kim was more stubborn than Jason or I was."

Kim started to nod, only to realize what Billy said, "Hey, I am not that stubborn."

"Really," Jason said, "You know you're more stubborn than the rest of us. Hell you're even more stubborn than Tommy."

"No way," Ethan said, "Dr O is the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"Kim did the same thing for me that she did for Billy," Tommy said.

"What do you mean Dr O?" Angie asked.

"Well, Tommy had just lost his green ranger powers and he was trying to pull away from the team…" Trini started.

"…He didn't want to hang out with us," Zack continued.

"And was afraid that we wouldn't want to be his friends anymore, so…" Billy said.

"This girl here," Jason said pointing to Kim "Wouldn't let that happen. She invited him everywhere with us, and never left him alone."

"He tried to fight it," Kim said, "But I wouldn't budge. I had to show him that we weren't friends with him just because he was a ranger, and just because he didn't have his powers anymore, we wouldn't stop being his friend."

Tommy shook his head, "I swear if I knew how stubborn she was, I never would've fought it. No wonder Zedd was pissed so much. It was because Kimberly was just too stubborn."

"Hey," she laughed and smacked his arm, "That is not why he was pissed."

"Uhuh, sure," Tommy said.

"It's not my fault he wanted me for his queen," Kim said.

"What?" Kira asked, "Are you saying that the villain that you guys fought against wanted Kim for his queen?"

"Yep," Adam said, "Zedd was really obsessed with Kimberly."

"Are you kidding?" Angie asked.

"Nope," Kim shook her head, "I don't why but he was."

"And because Kim was stubborn, she didn't give into him," Tommy said, "And that pissed him off." The others laughed at the look on Kim's face. She shook her and said, "I have to get better friends."

"Aww, Kim you don't mean that," Rocky said as he put his arms around her.

"And why not?" she asked as she shook his hand off.

"Because who would you have?" he said, "We make your life interesting."

She grabbed Connor's arm, "I have Connor, my very own red, so why would I need you guys?"

Trini held her arms up to stop them and when they did she turned her attention back to Kimberly, "You mean to tell me that you could understand Billy since his mom died?"

"Well not since," Kim said, "It was more like, after my accident."

"What accident?" Tommy and Aiesha said together. Tommy blushed when the others looked at him but didn't look away.

"Well it was just a few weeks after Billy's mom died," Kim said, "I had a competition and I was spending a lot of my time training and practicing for it."

"We hardly spent any time away from the youth center," Trini said, "Her coach didn't want any distractions, but Kim insisted that we be there to watch her practice."

"Whatever homework we had, we all met up at the youth center and did it, while Kim practiced her routines," Zack said, "I remember her coach was pissed."

"Why?" Hayley asked.

"Because she thought that they would be a distraction to me," Kim said, "But they weren't. I was a lot more at ease when they were around. They were my comfort zone, not to mention my cheering section. Anyway, my parents got into a fight a few days before the competition, and it had bothered me a lot. But I refused to talk about it, got distracted. I wasn't sleeping because of the constant arguing and I was scared that they were going to break up and that it would be my fault because I was spending do much time away from home practicing."

"The day of the competition Kim was distracted," Billy said, "We didn't know it at the time, but she had a cold that she told no one about. She looked pale and we insisted that she stay out of the competition."

"I didn't want to because I thought it would make my parents stop fighting and they wouldn't say I spent all that time away from the house to back out at the last minute," Kim said, "So I did."

"She was performing on the beam when she missed a step and fell," Billy said, and watched as Tommy, Kat, Aiesha, Rocky and Adam wince.

"She ended up in the hospital for a week and a half," Trini said, "And Billy stayed by her side the entire time."

"I was caught up in school and well being the smartest kid in class gave me the advantage of staying home," Billy said.

"He was the first person I saw when I woke up," Kim said, "Then the doctor told me that he had been here ever since they brought me in. He said that Billy refused to leave and forced the others to go to school. He stayed and talked to me everyday."

"That was the first time we ever saw Billy so forceful," Jason laughed and Billy blushed.

"After what happened with my mom, I was afraid," Billy said.

"Well I'm glad you didn't because you brought me home," Kim said.

"What do you mean Kimberly?" Angela asked.

"Well, when I was in the hospital," she started, "I remember being trapped in my mind. I was in a place that I couldn't recognize and it was really dark. I remember feeling scared and running from something. I didn't want to come home, even though I was scared, because I thought my parents would be mad at me, and so would the others. I thought that if I stayed there, then I wouldn't have worry anymore."

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"I fell down a whole, and the next thing I know, I'm in a snake pit," she shuddered, "I hate snakes."

"Me too," Rocky said.

"So there I was, a scared seven year old trapped in a pit with a snake. It was coming at me and I started screaming, when I heard a sound. I looked up a saw a bird flying towards us. The bird screamed again and I guess the sound was too loud and it scared the snake away. I looked at it, very frightened, but it just sat there staring at me. I realized it wasn't going to hurt me, so being the curious child that I was, I stepped closer," she paused and looked around before talking again, "I wanted to see it because I'd never seen a bird with that color before." She paused again and waited for the question.

"What colors?" Ethan asked.

Kim looked straight at Tommy and said, "It was white; white, gold and black." Tommy looked just as shock as the others, "You mean…" he couldn't finish.

"Uhuh," Kim nodded, "Seems you've been saving me for awhile now." Knowing that the others were going to want answers, she hurried on to finish, "It led me out of the pit and into a cave. I didn't realize how cold I was until I started trembling. The next thing I know, this jaguar came out of nowhere at me. Then a bear and an ape came out of the cave and fought with it, protecting me. A frog jumped on my shoulder and scared me, so I ran further into the cave. I remember sitting with my arms around my knees rocking back and forth, wishing I was home. But I wasn't scared anymore; I just wanted to go home. The bear, the ape, the frog and the bird all stayed with me. Then I heard your voice," she said looking at Billy, "You were talking, but I couldn't understand what you were saying because you're voice sounded so far away. I got and the animals got up with me. As I walked out of the cave, a wolf was standing there; it looked at me and for some reason I thought of you Billy. He ran off and I followed it. The more it ran the louder I could hear your voice. I heard you crying, you were begging me to wake up, because you wanted your little sister back. I started crying, the first time I cried since I was there. The animals came around and I felt their tears as if they were raindrops, the wolf came up to me and I said to it to take me home. The next thing I know, I'm looking up at you and you had tears in your eyes."

"Whoa," Kira said, "That sounds…"

"Unbelievable, I know," Kim said.

"Is that why you were so shocked when we got our ninjetti powers?" Adam asked.

"Yep," Kim said, "I had told my parents and they said it was just a dream and to forget it, so I did. But when we got our ninjetti powers, I remembered."

"Ninjetti?" Trent asked.

"Well we had our powers destroyed by Ivan Ooze," Aiesha said.

"Ivan Ooze?" Krista asked.

"I remember him," Angela said, "Purple guy that had the parents under control."

"Yep that's him," Tommy said, "He had destroyed the Command Center and nearly killed Zordon."

"But Alpha managed to get enough power together to send us to Phaedos, so that we could find the Great Power," Adam said.

"We found Dulcea," Kim said, "Well more like she found us, and told her what was going on and why we were there. She took us up to the top of the plateau and helped us find our spirit animals."

"But that doesn't explain why the others looked so shock when you mentioned animals," Ethan said, "Or why Dr O did when you mentioned the color of the bird."

Hayley racked her brain to remember what she knew about the powers, when she did she said, "The animals were theirs weren't they?"

"Yes they were," Kim smiled.

"Anybody else confused?" Connor asked.

"Yep," The DT teens and Angela said.

"Like I said, Dulcea helped us find our spirit animals," Kim said, "I was the pink crane, Adam was the black frog, Aiesha the yellow bear, Billy the blue wolf, Rocky the red ape—

"And Tommy was the white falcon," Kat said.

"You mean to tell me that our spirit animals were with you, long before we even met?" Aiesha asked.

"Yep"

"Wow," Kira said, "Looks like they were looking out for a while now."

"Yea, we understand that," Trini said, "But I still can't believe you understood Billy and never said anything."

"Tri you're still on that?" Kim asked.

"YES!!" she said, "Do you know how much help I could use because these three (pointing to Jason, Zack and Tommy) were too hard-headed to understand Billy."

"But you looked like you liked it," Kim said, "Besides I used to open my mouth to translate but you would beat me to it, so after awhile I stopped."

"Kim," Trini said, "Run." Kim's eyes got wide as she pushed out of Connor's arms and took off. She laughed as Trini chased her. "I'm sorry Tri, but it was too much fun watching you and the guys."

"Sorry!! Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it Kimberly," Trini yelled as she continued chasing her. The others laughed at the two. Kim was running but stopped, turned and then flipped until she got back towards Trini. Trini saw her coming and when Kim landed on her feet in front of her sent a kick towards her head. Kim ducked from it and flipped over Trini's head and sent a kick to her back. Trini stumbled but faked a punch to Kim's face, when Kim ducked she threw one to her stomach. The others looked on as the two girls fell into their sparring routine. Jason and Tommy looked at each other and smiled, "Old times?" Tommy asked.

"You know it," Jason said and the two made their over towards them. The others looked on in confusion and amusement and watched as Jason and Tommy both ran at the girls with a kick. At the last minute, Kim and Trini ducked and twisted out of the way. All four fell into a familiar sparring routine, switching up partners every few minutes. Back with the others, Zack turned to Billy and said, "Will you look at that Billy?"

"I know," Billy smiled, "How could they do that without us?"

"Ready?" Zach asked.

"Let's," Billy said. The both ran towards the four and soon all six of them were sparring. The boys decided to turn on the girls, so now it was Kim and Trini against the four of them, then it was Kim and Tommy against the other four. Rocky and the others looked on as both Kim and Tommy stopped right in the middle of the fight. They watched as Kim and Tommy turned towards each other and saw Tommy hold out his hands. Kim smiled as she did a little curtsy before grabbing Tommy's hand and the two started fighting again. To the others it looked more like dancing than fighting, and when Krista said that, Adam answered, "That's because they are."

"Huh?" Tanya said.

"Whenever we had a battle, the putties always seemed to surround the two of them, so what you saw was Tommy asking Kimberly to dance. He always did that, and it works for the two of them."

Aiesha looked over at Kat and smiled. The blond was frowning. Aiesha knew that Kat never got so in tune with Tommy, and she thought of a way to rub it in, "Those two were always connected. One of the reasons we won so many fights was because of the two of them."

"They always had each other's back and always seemed to know what move the other was going to make before they did," Rocky said, "Apart, they were fierce, but put them together and you got one hell of a fighting team." They watched as the six of them, stopped fighting and seemed to be moving in a slower, more relaxed pace of martial arts and gymnastics.

"What are they doing now?" Angie asked.

"It's called a Kata," Rocky said, "They learned it when Tommy rejoined the team as a white ranger."

"And when Jason, Zack and Trini left, the six of us decided to learn one together," Adam said. The others looked on and saw that they had stopped and were now making their way back to them.

"Wow, that was amazing," Kira said.

"Thanks," Trini said.

"Would you believe we haven't done that since before Jase, Tri and Zack left for the peace conference?"

"Really?" Ethan said.

"Uhuh," Tommy answered.

"So what do we do now?" Angela asked. The others looked at each other.

"Well I don't think our place is going to fit everybody," Jason said.

"I have an idea," Kim said, "That is, if you guys want to."

"What is it?" Tanya asked. Kim got up and said, "It's a secret. So, come on follow me." As the others got up and gathered their stuff and headed out towards the parking lot. During the walk, the others tried to get her to tell them what her secret was, but she wasn't budging. As the got to the parking lot, they heard Ethan shout out, "OH MY GOD!! LOOK AT THAT CAR!!"

They ran to the parking lot and stopped in front of the pink and white car that was there. Rocky turned to Kim and asked, "Is that really your car?"

"Yup," she said smiling, "A present from my uncle."

"Is this your surprise?" Tanya asked.

"Nope, it's not." The others looked around the car. Not believing what they were seeing. Tommy stood off to the side and looked at the car. It was a basic representation of the power rangers. His eyes traveled over the outside, he smiled at the word dragon on the back, and felt his breath hitch when he saw the falcon and the crane on the side. _**'Are you trying to tell me something Kim?'**_ he wondered. He remembered how happy everyone was to see her and how he had let that nickname for slip out when he had hugged her, but what had surprised him was that she had answered back in kind with her nickname for him. He frowned as he remembered how insistent Trini was when she told him to listen before he got angry, and as he looked at the car and how his friends were interacting with Kim, he decided to get the truth out in the open. Squaring his shoulders, he walked over to Kim, tapped her on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear when she had turn to look at him, "We need to talk." Kim nodded and looked up at him. She knew what he wanted to talk about, and she couldn't wait. As far as she was concerned, it was long overdue.

…

The others were still admiring the car, when Trini spotted Tommy out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look at him and realized that Tommy looked to be in deep thought about something. She nudged Aiesha and the two watched as Tommy made his way over to Kim.

"Uh oh," Aiesha smiled, "Our fearless leader is back."

"And he looks determined for answers," Trini said. They, along with everyone else, watched as Tommy walked up to Kim, tapped her shoulder and whisper something in her ear. They saw Kim nod, and knew instantly what it was about.

"It's about time," Jason said as they nodded.

"Do you think she'll tell him everything?" Trini whispered to Aiesha.

"You mean about what Kat did as well?" Aiesha whispered back.

"Yea, I think he deserves to know that the woman he's dating is nothing but a backstabbing bitch," Trini said as Aiesha nodded.

"I hope she does," she said, "But we can't know for sure. You know Kimberly wouldn't want to ruin this reunion. That's the whole reason the others don't know exactly how responsible Kat is for the entire mess." Trini nodded and the two dropped it. Neither realized that Kira was standing behind them.

(_Kira's POV)_

Kira looked over at Connor, and couldn't help but wish that she and he had gotten to finish their conversation. She still wanted to figure out what he knew about Kat. She too had seen Kat's face when Dr O and Kim were sparring with the others, especially when the others started talking about how close and connected the two were. Kat had been jealous. She also remembered the look on Kat's face when they were talking about secrets and how scared she had looked when Connor was saying Cassidy's name. She looked around and saw Trent and Krista talking, _**'I wonder what those two are talking about. Whoa, I've never seen Dr O look so intense. Wow he looks really determined about something.'**_ She watched as he walked over to Kimberly and saw him whisper something in her ear. She heard the others say something, but didn't understand and moved closer to hear. She was standing behind Trini and Aiesha and was about to ask them something when they started whispering,

"_Do you think she'll tell him everything?" Trini whispered to Aiesha._

"_You mean about what Kat did as well?" Aiesha whispered back._

"_Yea, I think he deserves to know that the woman he's dating is nothing but a backstabbing bitch," Trini said as Aiesha nodded._

"_I hope she does," she said, "But we can't know for sure. You know Kimberly wouldn't want to ruin this reunion. That's the whole reason the others don't know exactly how responsible Kat is for the entire mess." Trini nodded._

'_**Kat is responsible for this mess? What mess are they talking about? And why did they call Kat a backstabbing bitch?' **_Kira frowned. Something was going and whatever it was had to do with Kat, Kim and Dr O. She was racking her brain when snippets of conversations she had with Connor came back to her,

"…_I don't want to betray someone by telling without letting them know"_

"…_the truth is I kinda know Kat…"_

"…_Kat's from England right? ...had a soccer match in England…"_

"…_way in which I got to know Kat wasn't good…"_

"…_secrets always have a way of coming out…" Connor said while looking at Kat._

'_**Kim and Connor knew each other for awhile, could it be possible that Kat did something to Kim and Connor knows about it?' **_ Kira shook her head. _**'I think it's time Connor and I finished our talk. And based on the way Trini and Aiesha are acting around Kat and how nervous Kat looks around Kimberly, I'm starting to not trust her or anything she says.' **_ She was broken out of her thoughts by Kim's voice, "Ok guys let's go."

(_No one's POV)_

"OK guys let's go," Kim said, "Tri, Sha, want to hitch a ride?"

"Girl did you even had to ask," Aiesha said.

"I call shotgun," Trini yelled.

"Damn it," Aiesha said. The others laugh at the look on her face and at the victory dance Trini was doing. Kim looked over at Connor's car and realized that he had four others not including himself. She turned to Aiesha and Trini, who were buckling up and asked, "Do you guys mind if Kira comes with? Connor's car looks a little cramped."

"No that's fine," Trini said.

"I was going to suggest it actually," Aiesha said.

"Hey Kira," she yelled.

"Yea?"

"Wanna ride with us?" Kim asked.

"Sure," Kira said. She turned to the others, "You guys don't mind do you?"

"No."

"Ok, see you guys there," she said, then turned and walked over to Kim's car and got in the back with Aiesha.

"Welcome," Aiesha and Trini said. Kim shook her head then went to get into the river's seat. She laughed as she realized who got into the cars on either side of her. When Tommy got to his side she said, "Damn, why is it that I'm always in between both of you?"

"That's cause you're the shortest," Tommy smiled.

"Hey, I can still kick your ass Oliver," She laughed.

"OH yea?" Tommy smiled.

"Yes"

"Anytime, anywhere," he said.

"Hey you can't have rumble without the third musketeer," Jason shouted from his car.

"Who said you were invited?" Tommy shouted back.

"Because I'm the oldest and I said so," Jason said then stuck out his tongue.

"Real mature Jase," Kim laughed, "But it doesn't matter because I can kick both your butts."

"This means war pinky," Both Tommy and Jason said.

"Yeah, yeah," Kim said before she started her car and pulled out of the parking lot. Jason's car, which had Zack, Billy and Angela, pulled out behind Kim. He was followed by Tommy's car, then Connor's car, and finally Adam, who had Rocky and Tanya with him. The five cars drove away from the youth center. Each had music playing and the occupants were all laughing and having a good time. A while later Kim turned off the road and drove up to her house. As every one pulled up into the driveway, they couldn't believe it.

_Adam's Car_

"Whoa, what's Kim doing?" Rocky said.

"I don't know," Adam said, "But this house is huge."

"You can say that again," Tanya said.

_Jason's Car_

"I wonder whose house this is," Billy asked Jason.

"I think it belongs to Kim," Zack said.

"I think so too," Jason replied.

_Tommy's Jeep_

"This is a really nice place," Krista said.

"Who do you think it belongs to?" Kat asked.

"From the color, I'd say Kimberly," Hayley said. As they noticed, the house was pink and white, just like Kimberly's car.

"I thought she just came into town today?" Tommy said.

_Connor's car_

"Whoa, Trent I think this is as big as your dad's place," Connor said.

"No way, Mercer's place is a freaking mansion," Ethan said, "But this house is huge though."

"Do you think it belongs to Kimberly?" Trent asked.

"Probably," Connor said, "I mean, just look at the color."

They all got out and stood staring at the house, Kim looked back at them and laughed, "Come on you guys, you haven't even seen inside as yet." She pulled out her keys and opened the door. She motioned for everyone to come inside and they did after they grabbed their bags.

"So, what do you guys think?"

"Are you a drug dealer?" Rocky asked.

"What?" she laughed, "No, I'm not."

"Well then how'd you afford this?" he asked again. Kim raised an eyebrow in his direction. He closed his mouth as he remembered her singing.

"I barely spent any money on this," she said as they walked around, "Mom and dad bought it, and paid the money to get it fixed up. Then they called Uncle Carson and he decided to over see it, so that I got everything I wanted."

"I thought you weren't talking to your dad?" Tommy asked, thinking he had missed a lot.

"I'm not," Kim said, "I meant Pierre, my stepdad. I've been calling him dad since the Olympics."

"OK."

"So is this your secret?" Tanya asked.

"Half of it," Kim said.

"What's the other half," Aiesha asked.

"Well, I'm moving home." When she said that, screams echoed through the entire house. Aiesha and Trini raced forward to hug her; followed by the guys and Tanya.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Kim said.

"Is that it?" Zack asked.

"No," Kim said, "I was wondering, since I'm moving home, that I would like some roommates. I mean this house is really big and…"

"Are you asking us to move in with you?" Trini said.

"That is if you guys want to?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we want to," Rocky said.

"But what about our places," Tanya asked.

"Well if you guys wouldn't mind moving out and in here, I wouldn't mind taking care of it."

"Well Tri and I have been living in my parents house since they moved out to San Francisco," Jason said, "We were actually talking about selling it or something, and starting fresh in our own place, so this is the perfect opportunity I'd say."

"But Zach and Angela were staying with us," Trini said. Zack turned to Angela, "What do you say baby?"

"Are you sure you can fit us?" Angela asked, "Are you sure you want us?"

"Yes I can fit you and yes I want you," Kim said, "How about I sow you guys around and then you can decide." A chorus of Ok's came back to her. She took them upstairs and showed them the bedrooms. "Alright, this floor has six bedrooms, including the master bedroom. Each bedroom on this floor has its own bath room, which is why only couples will be on this floor. You guys can have privacy in your own bathroom." She led them up the stairs to the top and final floor. "This floor has five bedrooms as well, as long as two bathrooms; one for the boys, one for the girls." The others looked around the rooms and bathroom. "I call this floor, the guest floor," Kim turned back to them, "Well what do you guys think?"

_(A/N: I know in the chapter before I said the house had in ten bedrooms, I miscounted everyone and changed it in this one; it actually has eleven bedrooms.)_

"You got yourself a roommate," Trini and Angela said.

"Same here," Billy said, "I've been staying with my dad, and I think it's time I got my own place. And why not bunk with my little sis."

Kim laughed then turned to Aiesha, Tanya, Rocky and Adam, "Guys?"

"Well we are all sharing an apartment," Aiesha said, "And you know I would love to, but it's T's and Adam's place and we can't let them pay the rent themselves."

"Actually, the rent for this month's already been paid, so we have no problem moving," Tanya said, "But it's up to the guys."

Everyone turned to look at Zack, Jason, Rocky and Adam. "Guys what do you think?"

The guys looked at each other, "I don't know Kim," Jason said. Kim knew that they were teasing, but decided to show them the icing on the cake. "Ok follow me," she said. Then he led them back down the stairs, pass the kitchen and into the den. "I thought you guys might be difficult, which is why I saved these two rooms for last."

As the others got into the den, the guys' eyes bulged out. They looked around at the many different video games Kim had and the three XBOX that were sitting underneath the TV.

"No way," Rocky said, "She has all the old school video games."

"You mean…" Adam started.

"Yep, Mario Bros. and everything," Rocky said.

"And if this is still not enough to convince you, I have the last room to show," she said. She walked out and down into the basement. She turned on the lights and watched as they gravitated to the machines. "And I have a hot tub and bathroom down here as well; right through that door." When she said that, Jason ran to see and came back out in a daze. He turned to Trini and said, "Tri, we're moving in here, end of discussion."

"But Jason..."

"No buts, we're moving," He said. Trini hid her smile and nodded, letting him think he won. Kim laughed, "What about you three?"

"Guess we're moving," Adam said. The others cheered and headed back up the stairs. They decided to order pizza and choose a room as well. Knowing the six bedroom floor was for couples, the Reefside gang, headed straight for the top floor. Connor chose a corner bedroom, while Kira and Angela had decided to share a room, same as Krista and Hayley. Trent had chose Ethan before Connor, so they were sharing a room, while Connor got his own. And the last room went to Tommy and Kat. When the pizza got there, everyone was lounging around in the front. They were talking and laughing; reminiscing about a lot of things. They ate and talked, well into the night. Looking at them, you wouldn't believe that they had just met. What they realized however, was that most of it was due to Kimberly. She talked, laughed, and practically invited everybody to talk and share.

"Oh my God I can't believe you guys remembered that," Kimberly laughed.

"Wow, I can't believe you and Billy switched body," Kira laughed.

"Being a girl for a day," Ethan said, "Sounds like fun."

"It wasn't," Billy said, "Remember, I was in the body of the most popular girl in school. Do you know how stressing it is?"

"Oh please Billy, it was just one day," Kim smiled, "I had to deal with it everyday."

"Oh, Kim you had it easier," Trini laughed.

"Easier?" She said, "I blew up Billy's computer."

"And Billy blew up your cake," Zack said. At that everyone started laughing even harder.

"You blew up a cake?" Connor asked, "How the hell did you manage that?"

"I don't know," Billy shrugged, "But Trini's right Kim did have it easier."

"How?" Krista asked.

"Well Billy had to wear a female underwear, make-up, do his hair, and put up with the guys hitting on him," Kim smiled, "All I had to was grab a pair of boxers, a t-shirt, and some jeans."

"Wait, you saw each other naked?" Trent asked. Tommy looked over at Billy with a glare, that he moved back a bit. _**'Guess that answers my question on whether he has still has feelings for her.'**_ NO!! I closed my eyes when I was dressing and when I took a shower, and Kim did the same thing."

"Guys let's drop it okay," Kim said.

"Okay."

"I'm going to get something to drink," Kim said as she got up. She walked into the kitchen, and Tommy followed her with his eyes. He sighed as he realized that if he wanted that talk with Kim, then now was the time to do it. He got, well aware that all eyes were on him, and followed Kim into the kitchen. Seeing this, Kat got scared and made to get up, "Tommy where are you going?"

"To finally have that talk with Kimberly," he said.

"Now?" she asked.

"What's wrong with now?" Aiesha asked, "If you ask me, this talk has been long time coming."

"I agree," Trini said, "Tommy deserves to know the truth."

"What if she hurts him again?" Hayley asked, "I mean I still can't believe you guys are friends after what happened.

"What do you know about what happened?" Tanya asked.

"Well I know she sent you and everyone else letters in high school, and that she broke Tommy's heart through a letter." Hayley answered.

"What?" Trent and Ethan said.

"Look, this is between me and Kim," Tommy said.

"I know Tommy, but I still don't understand how they could all just forgive her like that," Hayley.

"That's because we know the truth," Adam said. Kim heard the yelling from the kitchen and came out, "Guy, what's going on here?"

"Did you really write Dr O a letter in high school breaking up with him?" Krista asked.

"Yes, but..." she didn't get to finish before Hayley cut her off, "Why did you do that?"

Kim frowned, "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Tommy is one of my best friends, and I saw how he was after the letter," Hayley said.

"Hayley I would be quiet," Connor said, "You don't know what you're talking about?"

"And you do?"

"I know more than you," Connor yelled.

"Yea, well I know that she's nothing but a two-timing slut that cheats on people she claims to love." Kim gasped, as well as the teens. They'd never heard Hayley swear before. Connor looked over at Kim when he heard her gasp, and saw the tears welling in her eyes.

"Hayley!" Tommy said shocked. Like the teens, he'd never heard Hayley swear before, "Like I said before this is between me and Kimberly."

"But Tommy, how can you trust her after what she did?" Hayley asked, "How can any of you be friends when she was such a bitch to all of you?"

By now the entire room erupted in shouts and yells. Kimberly had enough and yelled out, "WOULD EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP!!"

They were so shocked by the noise from the tiny woman that they immediately got quiet. They could see that she was beyond pissed, and saw the tears running down her face. Kim turned to Hayley, and spoke very quietly, her voice filled with pain and anger, "I invited you into my home, I became friends with you, and you repay me by yelling at me for something you don't even understand." Hayley went to talk but Kim stopped her, "I'm not done. You are angry at me for that stupid letter, and I know that Tommy is too."

"Kim, I'm not…" he started.

"Don't Tommy, I know you remember," She said, "And I know that there's at least some part of that's angry at me."

"Not anymore Kim," he said, "I was, but now all I want are answers."

"Fine Tommy, but I don't appreciate being called a two-bit slut and a bitch by someone that doesn't even know me," Kim said with tears. What Hayley had said had hurt, because it reminded of her of the words in the letters. Connor moved to stand next to her and rubbed her arms. "Are you ok?" he asked. She shook her head, "No, but I need to do this."

"Are you sure?" Kira asked, as she came up to stand next to her. Kim turned her head towards the girl.

"Yea I'm sure. Tommy deserves to know." Aiesha and Trini moved next to Kim, followed by Rocky and the others, leaving only Hayley, the teens and Kat sitting by the couch.

"It's ok Kim," Trini said, "Just take a deep breath." Kimberly did as she was told, took a deep breath and started talking, "When my power coin got stolen, I was a lot more shaken up that I let on. I was scared for the first time, not even when Tommy lost his powers was I so scared. Then when I ended up in the hospital, I felt as if I was seven years old again. I didn't want to let anyone out of my sight, especially Tommy, because I was afraid that Zedd would come after you again. But I got over it, all of you helped me. And when it came time to go to Florida, you guys encouraged me to go. At first I didn't want to, but you guys believed in me, so I started believing in myself again," she moved out of Connor's arms and started pacing, "It happened after Christmas. It was the first week in March."

"That you met him?" Hayley asked. The original rangers glared at the red-head.

"Is that when you got the letter Kim?" Kira asked. The others, minus Trini and Aiesha, looked at her in shock.

"How do you know about that?" Tanya asked.

"Well we were driving up and…

_Flashback_

_In Kim's car, Kira was laughing so hard, that tears came out of her eyes. Kim had just finished telling them about the day that she had fell in love with Skull._

"_I can't believe you fell for the bully," Kira laughed._

"_Hey, I was under a spell," Kim said smiling._

"_But still…" Kira said_

"_I know ok, not a strong point for me."_

"_What was funny was the look on Tommy's face," Aiesha said, "He was so confused about the whole thing, and then when he found out it was a spell, I swear that boy nearly fainted from relief."_

_At the mention of Tommy, Kira paused. She wondered if she should bring it up or not._

"_You ok back there Kira?" Trini asked._

"_Yea, I'm just wondering," she started._

"_What?" _

"_What's up with you, Kat, Connor and Dr O?"_

"_Did Connor tell you something?" Kim asked._

"_NO, I asked, but he said he couldn't without letting you know," she said, "So if you don't mind, what happened?"_

"_I broke up with Tommy by letter in high school," Kim said. _

"_How come?" Kira asked._

"_Because Kim got a letter from someone saying that Tommy was cheating on her with Kat," Aiesha said._

_End Flashback_

"WHAT!!" Tommy said. Trini and Aiesha looked at each other, knowing that there was more that Kira wasn't saying, but was proud of her for keeping it from the others.

"It's true Tommy," Kim said, "Someone sent me letters saying that you were seeing Kat behind my back and that everyone knew about it and no one cared enough about me anymore to tell me."

"But I wasn't even interested in Kat," Tommy said, "She and I didn't even started dating until after I got your letter."

"I know that, but at the time I didn't," Kim said.

"Well why didn't you try to find out the truth?" He asked.

"Don't pull that crap on me Tommy Oliver," Kim said, "And I did ok. And I got it, at least what I was made to believe."

"Tell me everything," he said.

"Like I said, I got a letter saying that you were seeing Kat, at first I didn't believe it, but then I started getting more and pictures too," She said, "I called you cell after the third or fourth letter and Kat answered the phone. I heard her shout at you that the baby kept moving all over the place and to come calm it down. I was so devastated. I hung up before she could even ask who it was. It was then that I wrote the letter. I sent it to the youth center, because I knew everyone would be there. I regretted it the day I put it into the mail box. I cried for days afterwards, especially after you never called back to question it. My roommate convinced me that maybe I was too hurried to send it out and be strong and hear from your voice because you owed me that much. But when I had her call your house, she was told that you went skiing with Kat. I felt my heart break again."

"Billy and Kat took me on that trip to cheer me up," Tommy said.

"I know that, but I didn't then," she continued, "I was pissed and hurt, and I still believed that you owed me an explanation. Especially after I got letters from every one calling me names, from a slut to a bitch, I heard it all. I waited about week, after I called you, before I contacted Zordon. I told him that I desperately needed to talk to you guys to find out the truth about something. He allowed me to teleport up there. I walked around and I saw the guys. I went over to them, but they never saw me. I heard them saying a lot of stuff and I saw that they were angry. I couldn't stay. I walked around town, making sure that no one saw me. I finally ended back at the youth center. I thought it was closed, but I saw the light on, and I went inside."

Tommy listened with pain in his heart as he saw it reflected in Kimberly's eyes. He had a feeling she was about to say something he wouldn't like to hear, "What did you see Kim?"

"I saw you, you and Kat, on a date," she whispered, "When I saw that, I left in a hurry and teleported back to the Command Center. I told Zordon not tell anyone he saw me and went back to Florida."

"On the day of the Red's only mission," Jason started, "Adam saw Kim and brought her by the house. We sorted out everything."

"Is that why you were late?" Tommy asked.

"Yes it was."

"We figured out the entire mess, and decided that we were going to put it behind us, and we worked on rebuilding our friendships," Tanya said, "And we've all been friends ever since."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Tommy asked.

"Because I made them promise not to," Kim said.

"You didn't think I deserved to know?" He asked.

"Guys give us a few minutes alone please?" Kim asked.

"Are you sure?" Billy asked. She turned to him and nodded her head. So one by one they left, until Connor was the only one left.

"Con?" Kim asked.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure."

"Ok," he turned to Tommy, "Dr O, I know that you're hurt and angry, but if you want to keep my respect, you'll listen to what she has to say first." After that he turned and walked out the room, leaving Kim and Tommy alone. Now that the others were gone, he dropped the mask and she saw the raw pain in his eyes, "Why didn't you tell me Kim?"

"You were on your way to get you PhD in Paleontology," she started, "You were going to work on an island with the best of the best Tommy and if I had told you, what would you have done?"

"I don't know, Kim, but you never even gave me the chance," he said.

"You would have stayed home Tommy," she said, "You would have stayed home to be with me, to try and make up for the years that we lost with each other. You would have given up the job of your dreams for me and couldn't let you do that."

"So what if I had?" he asked, "I would've been happy because I would have had you."

"I know," she said, "But if you hadn't taken that job, then you never would've found the gems, and you wouldn't have had four amazing kids to mentor as rangers. The world wouldn't even be here, from what I understood from Jase and the others."

"But…"

"No buts Tommy," she cut him off, "Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that you wouldn't have blamed yourself if evil had gotten hold of those three gems?"

He couldn't say anything because he knew she was right. He would've might blamed himself, and even worse, he would've regretted being back with her, and probably would've end up hating her.

"You can't can you?" she said, "I can see it in your eyes and I know you, you would've blamed yourself and you would've regretted me and I didn't want that."

"What about after?"

"I had just gotten settled in my job and I knew that if I told you, I would've given it up to come home and be with you."

"I wouldn't have let you," he said.

"I know, and I didn't want to hate or regret you either, so I didn't," Kim said, "When the chance finally came to tell you, I found out you were a ranger again, and there was no way I was going to go through a repeat of Zedd."

"I understand," he said, "I don't like it, but I do understand and you're right, you're right about everything."

"I guess by then I thought you wouldn't want to hear from me again, so I didn't say anything," she said, "But when Jase said that he was having a get together, I saw this as my chance to finally clear the air with you."

"So what happens now?" he asked.

A/N: cliffhanger again, sorry. Just thought it's a good way to end that chapter.

A/N 2: so Kim and Tommy talk, but she doesn't tell him the entire truth. Next chapter we find out why Hayley went off on Kim, what happens between Tommy and Kim, a confrontation between Kim and Kat, plus someone gets jealous. So read and review plz.


	14. Truths, plans, and a surprise

A/N: hey guys another chapter down. Sorry about the length. To JasonLeeScottFan; Kim and Connor or not dating. This chapter should clear up any confusion about pairings.

A/N 2: there's a twist at the end of the chapter, but a clue somewhere in the middle. Well I hope you guys enjoy

_In the kitchen_

The others were standing around the kitchen wondering what was happening between Kim and Tommy, well it was more like, the original rangers including Kira and Connor were on one side while Hayley and the others on the other. They were all angry at the red-head, but it was Kira that spoke, "Hayley what the hell is your problem?"

"Kira…"

"No," Kira interrupted, "In all the time I've known you, you always find out the facts before you accuse people and you just went off on Kimberly for no reason."

"I want to know why," Connor said with his arms crossed. Hayley looked out at them. In truth she was angry with herself for what happened. She knew that she could've had handled it better than that but she had gotten angry and when Tommy got up, the anger just came out.

"I'm sorry about what happened," She started only to be cut off by Rocky.

"Sorry doesn't make up for the fact that you hurt my baby sister," he said.

"Everything was going fine; it wasn't until you came back downstairs that your attitude change," Tanya said, "So what happened to make you angry at Kimberly?"

"Well I went to Tommy's room to look for something…

_Flashback_

_Hayley was in the room that Tommy and Kat were staying in. she was currently going through his bag. "Where is it?" she exclaimed. She thought about going through Kat's bag, but decided against it. Even though they were friends, she didn't know the blonde well enough yet. She continued searching Tommy's bag, when she came across a pocket. She opened it and a folded piece of paper fell out. "What's this?" she took up, sat on the edge of the bed and read it. "Oh my God, this is the letter that Kimberly sent him." She re-read it again, and sighed, "No wonder he was jaded about love, if I had got this I would be too."_

_End flashback_

"When I read that letter, I just got so angry," She said, "I couldn't understand why someone would hurt the person they claimed to love like that; or why they would use such a coward's way out."

"And instead of asking or keeping your mouth shut," Trini said, "You went off on Kimberly."

"Tommy's been my best friend since I met him," Hayley said, "And I knew he was still hurt about the letter, I guess I was just trying to protect him from being hurt again."

"You know Tommy, but you know nothing about Kimberly except the fact that she broke up with him" Aiesha said, "We were the ones that were affected by the letter, you're smart, don't you think if we're all buddy-buddy with Kim then that means that there was more going on? That we knew the truth?"

"I never thought of it that way," Hayley said.

"There has to be more to it Hayley," Kira said, "Even if you were concerned about Dr O, you still pretty harsh."

"Kira's right," Jason said.

"I guess the only reason I was so mad was because I met Kimberly, and after meeting her and seeing the type of person she was," she started, "When I found the letter, I became confused."

"I guess we could understand," Trini said.

"Yea well I don't," Connor declared which caused everyone to look at him.

"What do you mean Connor?" Ethan said, "It's fairly simple, Hayley had started to like Kimberly so when she found the letter, she became confused and angry."

"That's not what I meant," he said.

"Well what did you mean?" Krista asked.

"Hayley just proved something, something that all of you are guilty of doing," he said.

"And what's that?" Kat asked with her arms crossed. Connor turned to look at her. He stared at her for a few seconds before he cast his gaze around the entire room at the others. "Hayley and all of you blamed Kimberly for what happened with Dr O, when in fact it wasn't even her fault. See the thing is, every single one of you is to blame, more so than Kim is."

"How do you figure that?" Kat asked.

"Simple, when Kim got the letters, she tried to find out what was going on," he paused, "And what did all of you do? Nothing, you did nothing except believe them. You believed that she was capable of doing that when you knew without a doubt what kind of person she was. She never accepted them until you proved her that she should. And the one person that should've asked questions didn't. Instead he allowed her replacement to replace her in every single way."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one knew what to make of it, because they were all trying to absorb the impact of Connor's words, all that is except Kat who got angry, "How dare you imply something like that? We were hurt—

"So was Kim, but she still tried to understand," Connor cut her off.

"So what now all of a sudden we're to blame?" Kat asked incredulously, "Who—

"He's right Kat," Billy cut her off.

"What?"

"It's just like Zack had said," Jason said, "We let Kimberly down when we believed those letters, when we never tried to find out what happened. We are all to blame for it, not just Kimberly alone."

"We all blamed her because I think it was easier than blaming ourselves," Tanya said with a sigh.

"I'm just glad we got the chance to make it right," Rocky said which caused the other rangers to nod their heads in agreement.

"I have a question," Angela said.

"What is it?" Aiesha asked.

"Do you have a problem with Kat Connor? I mean, ever since you got here, you've been kind of rude, and from what I understand you were rude to her when you first met her as well," she asked. Everyone became quiet waiting on his answer. Connor didn't even hesitate with his answer, "Simple, I just don't like her."

"Why though?" Tanya asked with a frown, "Kat says she's never met you, yet you act like you've met her before, have you?"

Kat looked on with fear in her eyes. _**'I know that he knows what happened between me and Kimberly, but if he tells, then I'm going to lose my friends and I can't have that.' **_Guys, it's not important. He had already apologized for being rude and I accepted it."

"But didn't you hear him?" Tanya asked, "He said he didn't even like you. And I want to know why."

Trini and Aiesha hid their smiles, wondering how this was going to play out. Kira looked at Connor, then at Kat, Trini and Aiesha then finally back at Connor. She was starting to put the pieces together, but she hope that what she thought wasn't what had actually happened. When Connor caught her eye, she gave him a tiny shake of the head, as if to tell him to lie. He nodded, just barely, but just enough so that she caught it.

"Look I guess it's because I knew Kim before I knew any of you, save for Dr O; so when she told me the _**entire**_truth about what happened," he said, putting emphasis on entirely which had Kat widen her eyes, and Aiesha and Trini smiling, "I guess I became protective, which naturally caused me to dislike the one that I thought was to blame."

"But why Kat," Rocky asked, "And why not one of us?"

But it wasn't Connor that answered, it was Kira, "Well think about it, Kim gave up her powers and her spot on the team to Kat, so I'd guess that she would feel as if she was replaced, so it makes sense that Connor would latch on to an instant dislike of Kat because she replaced Kim on the team. I mean, think about how you guys felt when you were replaced." Connor looked at Kira with gratitude and admiration which caused her to blush. The interaction had not gone unnoticed by Trini or Aiesha, or even Krista who leaned over and whispered something to Trent with a small laugh.

"I remember when I gave my powers to Justin," Rocky said, "I felt like I was going to be forgotten, sometimes ashamed that I let myself get hurt. I felt that you guys would think that I let you down."

"We can all relate to the way that Kim was feeling," Zack said.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Angie said.

_With Kim and Tommy_

"What do you mean Tommy?" Kim asked.

"Exactly that Kim," he answered back, "What happens between us now?"

"Well I'd like to think we're friends," she paused, "Tommy, I didn't tell you this so that you could break up with Kat, I mean I'm not even sure how you still feel about me."

"Then why did you tell me this Kim?" he asked. He had no idea why, but he wanted to know. And he wouldn't admit, but he felt hurt and/or disappoint flash through him when she said that.

"I told you because you deserved the truth," she said, "And because…"

"Because what?" he prompted.

"I miss you," she said with a small smile, "I miss my best friend." The words were reminiscent of ones said so long ago on a sunny afternoon. So keeping with the memory, he grabbed her hand,

"I miss my best friend too," he said, "I miss having you around Kim, I miss having someone that knows exactly what I'm thinking, that knows exactly what to say when I need to hear it."

"You have Hayley," she teased, "And Jason."

"But not you," he smiled, "Not yet."

"Well what makes you think that you'll get me back?" she asked, knowing that her words now had a double meaning behind them.

"It's only a matter of time Beautiful," Tommy said, "Besides, you already said you missed me."

"True," Kim said, her heart soaring at the use of her nickname. No matter what happened between them, it warmed her heart to know that he still considers her his beautiful. But another thought came to mind and she asked it, "Did you ever call Kat 'Beautiful'?

"No, that name is yours and yours alone; no matter what happens," he said, "You'll always be my beautiful, just like I'll always be your handsome."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yep, now tell me," He said, "Do I have my best friend back?" she wiped the smile off her face, and turned her back on him. She allowed the smile back on her face as she heard his voice behind her, "Kim? Kimberly?"

"Of course you do," she laughed, "Like I said, I miss my best friend too."

Realizing that she had tricked him again, he laughed, "You love to do that, don't you?"

"Of course," she shrugged, "It never gets old." She looked up at him and saw him with a shy look on his face, "What is it?"

"Do you think we should celebrate with a hug?"

She smiled, "We deserve it, don't you think?" he gave a small laugh and opened his arms and embraced her as she stepped into him. As his arms closed around her, Kim gave a small sigh and buried her head closer in his chest. _**'Perfect fit'**_ they both thought. "If I wasn't afraid of hitting your head on the ceiling fan, I'd lift you high and spin you around," he said, "On second thought, who cares about your head?" He moved to lift her when she laughed out, "TOMMY, DON'T YOU DARE!!" she made to move out of his arms and run when he grabbed her from behind, "OH come on Kim," he smiled, "Live a little."

She laughed as she tried to run, "that's what I'm trying to do." He mocked frown, and started tickling her, which cause her to erupt into peals of laughter. The others rushed into the room and saw Tommy holding Kim from behind, both laughing.

"What the hell's going on here?" Kat shrieked, as she felt her heart pound in her chest. _**'What the hell is going? Why are they so close? She couldn't have told Tommy could she? Is he planning on breaking up with me?'**_

"Jeez Kat, could you shriek any louder," Rocky asked as he was the one standing next to her.

Kim rolled her eyes, "Don't blow a gasket Kat, we were just fooling around."

"So I take it you guys talked," Trent said.

"Yes, we did," Tommy said, "And we're cool about everything, and the best thing is…

"What?" Trini asked with a smile, as she nudged Aiesha.

"I got my best friend back," Tommy smiled.

"But I thought I was your best friend?" Jason asked with a pout. The others laughed at the look on his face.

"Well tough, I'm back, so you can leave and take your pout with you," Kim said.

"No, I was his best friend, and you just can't come in here and change that," Jason stomped his foot in mock frustration. By now everyone was holding on to their stomachs trying to keep from laughing too hard. Kim shook her head slowly as she walked to stand in front of him, "Jason Lee Scott, you stop throwing that tantrum before I put you in a time out." At that, not even Jason could keep up with the pretense. He completely lost it, "Oh my God, do you know who you sounded like?"

"My mom," Kim answered with a smile. At the confused looks of the others Billy clarified, "When we were younger, Kimberly used to throw a lot of tantrums when her mom didn't want her to do something, so her mom used to say the same thing."

"So what are we doing now?" Ethan asked. Even as he did, Kim let out a yawn, which in turn caused a reaction as everyone yawned after she did, "How about we go to bed?"

"Then we can hang out in the backyard tomorrow and make more plans," Aiesha suggested.

"Sounds good," they all said together. As they all headed up stairs, Kim went around checking everything. She was in the kitchen when Kat walked in. "Oh hey Kat, I thought you went to bed already?"

Kat ignored her, "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What are you talking about?" Kim asked, "What exactly am I doing?"

"You know what," Kat said while pointing her finger at her, "You're trying to come between Tommy and me, but I won't let that happen."

"You know Kat, I think all that England air has gotten to your head," Kim said, "I am doing nothing. Tommy and I talked and we're friends."

"Whatever," Kat waved away her words, "You can't have him you gave him up already so stay away from him."

"I gave him up?" Kim asked, now getting pissed, "You stole him from me, you self-righteous bitch, just like you went after Jean-Luc. What, the Kitty-Kat can't get a guy on her own so she has to come after mine?"

"That's what you're saying now, but the truth is that you can't see is that both Tommy and Jean-Luc left you for me," Kat said spitefully.

"Oh please Kat, you lied, schemed, and manipulated Tommy to get him," Kim said, "And with Jean-Luc, well I guess you just wanted leftovers."

"Leftovers? Please, they realized that I'm better, so they came to me," Kat said.

"Wow, you really are living in a fantasy world, aren't you?"

"Whatever, the point is, they needed something that you weren't giving them and they came to me."

"And what was it that they got from you?" Kim asked, "Some sort of disease? God I hope Tommy didn't catch anything from you, I want him clean when I get him back."

"Get him back?"

"Did I stutter or something?" Kim raised an eyebrow, "I know you heard me."

"Tommy and I are together Kimberly, he's with me, not you, and you're not getting him back," Kat said indignantly. The truth was that she was scared. She wasn't blind; she saw how relaxed Tommy was around Kim earlier. It was as if he didn't have a girlfriend. She knew that he still had some type of feelings for Kimberly, and the truth was he was only staying with her because he had some sense of duty and he didn't want to hurt her. Kim looked at Kat, really looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. When she looked into her eyes, she gasped, and then she started laughing. "What the hell do you find funny?" Kat asked incredulously.

"You," Kim said still laughing.

"What about me?"

"I don't believe it. Through all your words, it's so obvious," Kim said more to herself than anything.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your insecurity," Kim smiled.

"Please, I'm not insecure," Kat scoffed, "Why would I be insecure of you?"

"Not of me, but what I have or had with Tommy," Kim said still smiling, "You insecure because you know that Tommy still has feelings for me and you're scared of it."

Kat hesitated, she knew it was hopeless, but she still tried to deny it, "Th-th-that's not true. I am very secure in my relationship with Tommy; you're just jealous and sad that you can't have him back." Kim scoffed. Kat smiled as she took in the petite brunette, "Face it Kim, Tommy's with me and it kills you. You see, I'm the one that's going up to his room--

"Let's face it Kat," Kim said cutting her off, anger evident in her voice, "The only reason you're still with Tommy, the only reason you even have any friends, you lying, manipulative bitch, is because for some reason, I kept my mouth shut. So don't you dare throw your relationship in my face when we both know exactly how that relationship came to be." Kat stood there, shock evident on her face, and could do nothing but watch as Kimberly walked out of the kitchen, as she reached the doorway, she turned and said over her shoulder, "You know something?"

"What?"

"You keep saying that you're the one that Tommy's with; well that might be true," Kim paused and then turned to look her directly in her eyes, "But I'm the one that he wants."

"You wish," Kat scoffed.

"I don't wish for things that I know are impossible," Kim said, "You say that it kills me to know that he's with you, but the truth is, it kills _**you **_to know that I'm the one he's in love with, the one that's in his heart."

"Now you're the one living in a delusional world," Kat hissed, "I mean really Kimberly, you and Tommy are over, and we're together now. I'm the one that's in his arms."

Kim looked at her, "Tell me something; how does it feel to know that you'll always be second place in his life and in his heart?" Kat opened her mouth to answer, but Kim cut her off, "I'm not done. You keep saying that you're with Tommy, but you seem to forget how you got him."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh don't play dumb Kat, even though it looks good on you," Kim said spitefully, "Stop throwing that you're with Tommy in my face. You know how you got Tommy; at least I didn't lie or manipulate him to get a date."

"Tell me something Kimberly; if Tommy loved you as much as you say he did, then why didn't he come after you?" Kat asked smugly. Kim couldn't answer, because the truth was, she didn't know. She hadn't had time to ask Tommy why he didn't come after her, but now she wondered.

"It's because I was the one he wanted all along," Kat said, "You keep saying you want Tommy back, well there is one way; you can tell him the entire truth. But you won't do that will you Kimberly? You wouldn't want to mess up this reunion." Kim remained silent as she thought about what Kat said, but then something made its way to her mind, as she realized it, she smiled. "What could you possibly be smiling about?"

"You're right. Tommy didn't come after me, and I haven't told what happened yet because I want to keep the peace. And I won't lie and say that it didn't hurt that Tommy never came after me," she paused, "But you know what? Tommy fell in love with me the day we met; he still does to this day, and do you know how I know that?"

"Oh do pray tell," Kat remarked.

"If he didn't have any feelings for me," she smiled, "Then why was he so jealous when he saw me with Connor?"

"It proves nothing."

"Oh but I think it does," Kim smiled even wider, "It proves that Tommy still loves me if he's jealous about Connor, don't bother try to deny it Kat. Tommy and I are connected, you saw it today and it scares you." Kim didn't let her say anything and turned to walk away. When she got to the door, she said, "You want something else to think about to prove that I'm right? Then think about this, when Tommy looks at you or even hold you, are you sure that it's you that he's seeing or is he seeing and wishing that it was me?" after that Kim turned and walked away. She didn't even bother looking back to see the look on Kat's face. If he had, she would have seen anger marring with fear. _**'What am I going to do? She's right. The only reason Tommy's with me is because he does have a sense of duty. I saw the way he was when Connor hugged Kim. He was jealous. And I also saw how they were when they were sparring. I know for sure the others don't know what happened; probably only Trini and Aiesha, since she tells them everything. And Connor does because he's been living with her and he all but said it. Besides, when he looks at me, it really isn't me he's seeing, it's her. It's always about Kimberly, but you know what? I can't lose my friends, and I won't lose Tommy. No matter what I have to do, Kimberly is not getting Tommy back, he's mine.' **_Kat shook her head from her thoughts and headed up to the room. It was late and she was really tired.

…

The next morning, Kim was the first one up followed by Connor. She was used to being up early, so she went to the basement to work out for a while before heading back to the kitchen. Connor came in when she got the frying pan and coffee pot going. She hated the stuff, but Jason and the others drank it, so she was starting it for them.

"Hey sleepy head," she called.

"Hey," he replied, "Did something happen last night?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I was on my to my room, when I saw Kat come up the stairs. She looked like she was thinking about something."

"We kind of got into it last night," Kim said as she cracked some eggs and whipped them. Connor paused in setting the toaster up, "What about?"

"Tommy," was all that she said.

"What happened?" he asked. As she was flipping the pancakes in the other pan, she told him everything that happened. By the time she was done, so was the pancakes, and Connor was just standing there. He stayed quiet for a few minutes before he smiled, "Man I wish I could've seen it."

She laughed, "Me too, now tell me what's bothering you."

He looked at her, "Who said anything is bothering me?" She raised an eyebrow in his direction.

He laughed, "Ok fine, something happened between me and Kira last night."

"Spill," Kim said.

"Well I saw her talking with Trent, but then afterwards she got up, and I followed her…

_Flashback_

_Connor looked over and saw Kira and Trent talking. He couldn't see Kira's face because her back was to him, but he could see Trent's. He had no idea what they are talking about, but judging from Trent's expressions, it seemed pretty serious. He saw Trent glance up at him, and say something to Kira. About five minutes later, Kira got up and headed into the hallway to go to her room. Connor waited a few minutes, before getting up and following her. He got to the room she was sharing with Angie and knocked on the door._

"_Come in," She called. Kira looked up from her book to see Connor open the door, "Hey what's up?"_

"_Can I talk to you?" he asked._

"_Sure," she said as she put her book down. She looked at him and realized that he seemed nervous. _**'**_**Kinda like how he did at the lake.'**__ She mused. _

"_Are you ok?" he asked, "You seem a little off."_

"_Oh," she said as she pushed a lick of hair behind her ear, "Trent and I talked and we decided it was better to be friends."_

"_Really," he asked surprised and pleased._

"_Yea," she said, "Apparently he liked someone else as well._

"_Someone else?" Connor asked, "Who?"_

"_Krista," she answered with a smile._

"_Krista?" Connor said shocked, "Wow, I did not see that coming."_

"_I know huh," she laughed silently, "Apparently they ran into each other a while back, and had lunch together. They hit it off pretty well, but Trent and I were still together and he didn't want to hurt me, so they did nothing about it. He said they weren't sure if it was real or just an instant physical attraction, and they didn't want to ruin their friendship with each other or me, so they did nothing."_

"_Well how did you feel when he told you?" he asked gently._

"_I was only shocked because of who he said he liked, but when I thought about it, they do seem to click," she paused, "I can see them being together. I think they would work out way better than he and I did, besides I told him I felt the same way; that there was someone else I liked."_

"_What did he say about that?" Connor asked his heart pounding._

"_He wasn't surprised actually," she said, "He told me that he had suspected it, but wasn't really sure until recently." Connor became quiet. Kim had always told him if he ever got the chance, then he should take it. This was the second time that an opportunity had presented itself, and he was going to take it. He opened his mouth but closed it after a few seconds._

"_Connor, are you ok?" Kira asked concerned. It looked like he was trying to get up the courage to tell her something._

"_I'm fine, I just need to talk to you," he said. He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath before he started talking again, "Do you remember what we were talking about that day at the lake?" _

"_Yea," Kira answered, a little unsure of where he was going._

"_You remember that you had asked who it was that I told you that I had fallen in love with."_

"_Yes, but Connor what does that have to do with anything?" she asked, "What are you trying to tell me?"_

"_I guess what I'm trying to say is…" he trailed off as he looked into her eyes. __**'She's so beautiful.'**_

"_Is what Connor?" she prompted. She looked into his eyes and saw the truth, so she asked before he could say, "Was I the one that you were talking about?"_

_Connor hesitated as he thought about denying the claim. But he took another look in her eyes, which seemed to be begging him to tell what she wanted to hear. He sighed, and looked away. Kira reached up and gently grabbed his chin and turned his face back to her, "Tell me Connor, was I the one that you were talking about?"_

_He reached up and brushed his hand across her cheek, and said, "Yes." Kira felt her heart swell when she heard that word, "Do you really mean that?"_

"_Yes I do," he smiled shakily, "I love you Kira Elizabeth Ford, I always have and I always will."_

_With a squeal, which was totally uncharacteristic of her, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. When Kira's lips touched his, Connor felt like he was dreaming. It was everything he imagined and more. Her lips were soft and pliant, and they fitted against his like a match made in heaven. Kira pulled away and looked into his eyes, she smiled, "I love you too Connor Jayden McKnight." She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into another kiss when he smiled at her. It was a battle of tongues for about five or ten minutes, when she pulled away again. Kira looked at Connor and saw that the love that was in his eyes. __**'I can't believe it. He loves me. I can't believe I finally have a chance with him.'**__ But even as she thought that, another one came to mind, __**'Kim.' **__She pulled out of his arms and stood up. She paced around the room, silently thankful that Angie was still out on the balcony with the others, and thought about what just happened. __**'Ugh, I am so stupid. Why did I kiss him? We can't be together; I won't hurt Kimberly like that. I like her, I really like her, but I love Connor and I finally have a chance with him. Why oh why is this happening now.'**__ She was broken out of her thoughts by Connor, "Kira, are ok? Is something wrong?"_

"_Yes, no, I don't know," she said frustrated, "Connor we can't do this."_

"_Why can't we?" he asked as he stood up beside her, "You love me and I love you; so what's the problem?"_

"_The problem is Kimberly," she said._

"_Kim? What does she have to do with this?" he asked puzzled._

"_Well, how do you think she would feel if she about us?"_

"_She wouldn't mind," he said._

"_How are you so sure?"_

"_Because she knows how I feel about you," he said taking her hands in his._

"_Kim knows that you love me?" she asked with a frown._

"_Of course," he shrugged, "I had to tell somebody, and Ethan already knew."_

"_Wait what? Ethan knew?" She said._

"_Yea, how do you think I kept from going crazy when I saw you with Trent?" he laughed._

"_No wonder he made all those remarks," Kira said in silent wonder, before she shook her head and spoke, "So, Kim knows and she's ok with us being together?"_

"_Well actually, she doesn't know yet," he said, "Remember, you, me and Trent are the only ones that know you guys broke up. I came straight here to talk. But she knew that there was still a chance that you and I would get together." Kira pulled her arms away and sat on the bed. Connor followed her and sat next to her, "Kira, babe, talk to me."_

"_Connor, I want to be with you, but I can't do that to Kimberly."_

"_Do what to Kimberly?" he frowned, "Kira you're not making sense."_

"_Look, I know that you said that Kim knows, but I don't think she'd actually want us together."_

"_Why wouldn't she?" he asked, "I told her that I was going to tell you how I felt and she was ok with it."_

"_I really am sorry Connor," Kira said regretfully, "But Kim's my friend and I don't want to see her get hurt."_

"_How would us being together hurt her?"_

"_It would ok," she said, "I'm a girl, and if the guy I cared about was in love with someone, I would be hurt too." _

"_But…"_

"_No buts Connor," she said, "Please just accept it and let it go."_

"_But Kira…" he trailed off as he watched her open the door. _

"_Connor, leave it alone please. Don't make this harder than it is."_

_He got up and walked to the door, he stopped in front of her, "I don't understand what you're talking about, but I will, and I'm not giving up on you or us. We finally have our chance and I'm not going to let go." When he finished he bent his head and kissed her, then he quietly walked out the door. On his way to his room, he saw Kat come up the stairs with a troubled expression. He dismissed her from his mind and opened his door. He looked back and saw Kira still standing at her door looking at him, he mouthed an 'I love you' to her and watched as she smiled softly before closing the door. He sighed and shook his head as he closed his._

_End flashback_

"Do you know what she meant" Kim asked as she flipped the eggs.

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair, "No I don't have a clue, but I'm going to find out."

"Good for you," Kim smiled, "At least one of us will be happy and will get some."

He burst out laughing, "Are you kidding me? Did you just say that?"

"Oh come on," she smiled, "Like you weren't thinking it."

"That is neither here nor there," he said.

"Whatever," she said playfully, "You and I both know it's true. Now stop talking and help me with breakfast." He laughed and moved to cook the bacon while she finished the eggs. He stopped as he walked to the den, grabbed the radio and came back out. He plugged it in and caught a station. As the songs started up, Kim and Connor sang along while finishing up breakfast for everyone. Everyone else had already woken up and took care of business and was on their way downstairs. "Hey do you guys smell that?" Trent asked.

"Smells like…" Ethan started only to be cut off by Rocky, "FOOD!!"

"And it sounds like singing?" Kira asked puzzled. They all made their way to the kitchen together and came upon Kim and Connor, dancing and singing as they made their way around the kitchen. As she turned off the stove, she turned and saw them standing there, "Oh hey guys, good morning, want breakfast?"

"Did you even have to ask?" Rocky said as he pulled up a chair. The others followed soon after.

"Well there's egg, bacon, toast, coffee," Connor started before he made a face, "And tea for the weirdoes."

"Hey," Kim, Kira and Angela shouted, "We'll have you know that we are not weirdoes." The others laughed at the look on the girls faces. All three admitted that they didn't like the smell of coffee very much. They had just sat down to eat when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Kim said.

"Hello my darling," Caroline said.

"Mom," Kim exclaimed, "How are you? Is everything ok?"

"I have a question for you," Caroline said.

"OK"

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find what out?" Kim questioned.

"About the bed in the upstairs guest room that you and Connor broke," Caroline told her daughter. Kim gasped as she tried to answer. "Mom I'm so sorry. I swear we didn't mean to." Everyone had turned their attention to Kim, wondering what she was talking about.

"You didn't mean to? Well you did, and you're going to pay me back for it."

"Aww mom, come on," Kim cried, "It was just a bed."

"One of my favorite beds from a guest bedroom," Caroline said, "And you're still paying for it, so don't even try to talk your way out of it."

"But mom…"Kim said.

"No buts Kimberly," she said. Kim frowned as she listened to her mother. _**'It's all Connor's fault. He was the one that insisted on trying it on that bed because it was so soft and comfortable. I knew we should have taken it out. And then mom never…wait, how does she know that the bed was broken in the first place? We never told her, and you couldn't tell just by sitting or looking.' **_ "Hey mom," she interrupted her rant, "By the way, how did you know it was broken?"

"Uhm, well you see," Caroline stuttered out, "Pierre came home and we wanted to relax, and he had mentioned that he had seen you guys, so…"

"NO, you didn't," Kim giggled, when her mother didn't answer she laughed, "You did, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Caroline said.

"Oh don't you?" Kim smirked, even though her mom couldn't see it, "I wonder what papa would say if I ask him?"

"Nothing of the sort and you are not to ask him anything," Caroline said. Kim laughed as she heard the smile in her mother's voice, "Why not?"

"Because I'm your mother and I said so," Caroline said, "Besides Connor helped you break it, let him help you pay it. Bye darling."

"Bye mom," she said then hung up. She turned back and found everyone watching her with smiles on their faces.

"So what did mom say?" Connor asked to the shock of the others. Kira ducked her head when she heard that. It just confirmed her thoughts. Tommy felt his heart constrict as he heard Connor refer to Kim's mother as 'mom'. To the shock of the others, Kim turned and smacked him on the arms.

"It's your entire fault," she said.

"What is?"

"Mom just told me that she's making me pay for the bed in the upstairs bedroom."

Connor's eyes widen, "You mean…"

"Yes Connor," Kim said, "She found out that we broke the bed." The reaction was instantaneous. Everybody spit out or choke on whatever it was that they were eating or drinking.

"WHAT!!"

"Kim, did you just say that you and Connor broke a bed?" Trini asked.

"Yes," Kim said.

"I still can't believe we broke it," Connor muttered.

"Well what did you expect?" Kim asked, "With all the bouncing and moving around."

"And the jumping," Connor said, "Man I thought you here going to hurt yourself."

"I'm a gymnast Connor," Kim said, "I know how high my body can go pretty high."

"I forgot you were used to stunts," he said as he nodded his head, and then frowned as he thought of something, "Wait, how did they find out about that?"

"Would you believe that they were doing they same thing?" Kim laughed.

"What?" Connor asked as he burst out laughing.

"Yea, according to mom, papa saw us," she said still laughing, "So I guess they were stressed and he suggested that they do it to relax, and they did."

"On the same bed?" Connor asked.

"Yep," Kim smiled while the others had looks of shock, disgust and disbelief on their faces.

"Man, no wonder it broke," he shook his head.

"I know." The others, now thoroughly disgusted, were quiet as they listened. They couldn't believe it. Trini and Aiesha were in shock. Kim had never given any indication that there was something going on between her and Connor. Kira was hurting on the inside; Tommy was seething with hurt and jealousy while Kat was smiling. Once again it was Rocky that said something, "What the bloody hell are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, when Connor and I went to visit my parents, we decided it would be a good idea to start jumping on the bed," Kim frowned as she noticed the sighs of relief that echoed throughout the group, "What did you guys think we were talking about?"

"So…you're not dating?" Ethan asked. This time it was Kim and Connor's turn to choke on their food.

"WHAT!!" they exclaimed. Kim looked at them, and asked "Oh my God, you thought we were talking about having sex?" at the same time Connor asked, "You think that we're dating?"

"Well…it's just that you guys look really close," Tanya said.

"Yea," Kim said, "Almost like brother and sister. I think of Connor the same way that I do Jason and Rocky; my brothers."

"And I think of Kim like a sister," Connor said then shuddered, "I can't believe they thought we were dating."

"I know," Kim said, "That is so wrong." Connor nodded. He shook his head and laughed silently while the others apologized. He frowned as he thought about something. He looked around, and then looked sharply at Kira as he thought back to their conversation last night…

"…_The problem is Kimberly…"_

"…_I want to be with you but I can't do that to Kimberly…"_

"…_I'm a girl, if the guy I cared about loved someone else, I'd be hurt…"_

'_**It couldn't be, could it? Was that why she didn't want anything to with me? Because she thought Kim and I were dating?' **_Connor shook his head from his thoughts and said, "hey Kira can I talk to you?" Kira wasn't stupid. She knew that Connor had just figured out what she was talking about last night. Truth be told, she was very glad and relieved that Connor and Kim weren't dating, but that didn't dismiss the fact that there was some sort of bong between them. She realized that she hadn't answer Connor and he was looking at her expectantly, "Sure Connor." They got up from the table and headed into the front room. Trent and Krista smiled at each other as he put his arms around her shoulders; Kim nudged Trini and Aiesha; and Ethan leaned over and whispered '_I told you so_' in Angie's ear.

"I still can't believe you guys thought Connor and I were dating," Kim said, then shuddered for good measure.

"We're sorry, but can you blame us?" Jason said, "How close you two looked and how you were acting…"

"You and Connor seem to have this bond between you too," Zack said.

"Well, I didn't think that they were dating," Angie said. The others turned to look at her.

"You didn't?" Hayley asked.

"Nah, I never thought that Connor, as much as he liked girls, would date Kim," Angie said, "No offense, it's just I never saw Connor as the older woman type, besides when I looked at it, it looked more like a very close blood bond."

"How so?' Kim asked.

"Well I actually thought that you and Connor looked more like brother and sister than anything," she said, "because you guys act the same way that my older brother and sister does."

"Thank you," Kim said, "Wait what did you say your name was?"

"It's Angela," Angie said.

"Two Angelas?" Kim said, looking between both Angelas, "Do you have another name?"

"My middle name is Caitlin."

"Ok, well do you mind if I call you Cait?" Kim asked, "That way I won't get confused about which Angela I'm calling."

"That's fine," Caitlin said.

"Cool," Kim said, "Well we should finish eat and then head out to the backyard." She got nods from everyone as they gathered up their dishes and placed them in the dishwater. Kim turned it on, and followed everyone out to the backyard. They passed Kira and Connor talking and told them where they were going.

…

"Kira, I'm going to ask you something and you need to be honest with me, ok?

"OK"

"Did you say what you did last night because you thought Kim and I were dating?"

"Yes," she said, "I thought that you guys had hooked up and you didn't know how to tell me or something."

"And now that you know the truth?" he prompted.

She smiled, and raised a hand to his cheek, "Now there's nothing stopping us from being together."

"You mean that?" he asked, and she nodded, "I want to be with you Connor, if you'll still have me." The words were barley out of her mouth before he captured her lips in a sweet and passionate kiss. They were both breathless when they need for air became too much, "Does that answer your question?" he laughed.

"God, I love you Connor."

"I love you too."

"Ok, so now it's my turn to ask you something and you have to be honest," she said.

"OK"

Kira took a deep breath to calm herself before she said anything. When she thought she was ready, she asked, "How do you know Kat?"

Connor sighed as wondered what to do. He didn't know if he should tell her everything or not, but she did deserve an answer. But at the same time, he didn't want to betray Kimberly either. Coming to a decision, he grabbed her hands in his and looked around. Satisfied that no one would hear him, he said, "Ok, you have to promise you won't say anything to anyone, and that you'll talk to Kim as well."

"I promise," She said, "What is it?"

"Kim had a boyfriend named Jean-Luc and he was cheating on her with Kat."

Kira gasped, "Are you sure?"

"I was the one that caught them," he said, "I told Kim about it, and she confronted him, then her." Kira looked into his eyes and saw that there was something else he was hiding, "There's more isn't there?"

"Yes, but I can't tell you."

"Does it have to do with letters?" she asked. Connor let out a gasp as she said that, "Why…why would you ask that?"

"Well your reaction just confirmed it," she smiled, "But I've been listening a lot since I got here and a lot of things that I heard and was told seems to point that way. So am I right?"

"Come on," he said as he pulled her out the back.

"Where are we going?"

"To talk to Kim."

…

Kim was standing at the sliding doors watching her friends play in the backyard. She let out a laugh as she saw Adam and Zack trip up Rocky. The guys were all playing football while the girls lounged around. Trini and Aiesha saw her and walked over to her.

"Hey girly," Aiesha said, "Why are you just standing there?"

"Just taking everything in," Kim said. Trini was about to say something when she spotted Kira and Connor making their way towards them. Kim turned and smiled as she saw that they were holding hands.

"We have a problem," Connor said when they got close enough. All three lost their smiles ay his words.

"Connor!!" Kira hissed, then turned to them, "It's not a problem, I just asked him a question and he decided should talk to you."

"Well what's the question?" Kim asked. Before Kira could say anything however, Connor spoke, "She knows."

"Knows what?" Trini asked.

"I know about Kat," Kira said.

"What do you know and how do you know?" Aiesha asked.

"Well, it's a lot of little things that tipped me off; the biggest was the way Connor acted around her. But then I noticed the way you too (referring to Trini and Aiesha) were acting around her as well, and I saw the look of fear in her eyes when Connor started talking about secrets coming out."

"Who are you talking about?" Kim asked, though she had a pretty good idea.

"Kat," Kira said, "Anyway, I figured for her to be worried, then it would have to be something huge. And the only major thing that had happened in the group was the letters."

"You're right," Kim said, "Kat was the one that was behind the letters. I assume Connor told you about Jean-Luc?" Kira nodded. "Well that's how I found out. I went to her place to talk and I found a box filled with letters and pictures. I also found a high school journal, in which Kat admitted to everything. I confronted her, and she didn't deny it. She actually admitted it. I was so angry that I left."

"Do the others know?"

"No they don't," Kim said, "And you can't tell them, at least not yet."

"Why not? They deserve to know," Kira said, "Don't you want another chance with Dr O?"

"I do, but not like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well think about it," Aiesha said, "If Kim tells Tommy now, then she'd only be telling him to get back at Kat and him away from her; she'd be doing it for a selfish reason."

"Ok, I get it," Kira said, "So what do we do?"

"Don't know yet, but Kat's not pulling any punches," Kim said.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked. As they stood there, Kim told them what happened between her and Kat last night. When she was done, Trini and Aiesha high-fived each other and Kira smiled, "Glad you told her off." They all laughed then turned back to watch their friends. Kim frowned as Kat looked up at her and smiled. Her frown became a scowl as she watched Kat walk over to Tommy and wrap her arms around him. Hands clenched at her side, she said, "You know? I'm done."

"With what?" Connor asked.

"I'm done doing things to please people," Kim answered, "I haven't said anything about Kat because I want to keep everyone happy. But it's time I made myself happy. Tommy loves me and I love him. We belong together and everyone knows it, including Kat."

"We know," Aiesha said, "That's why she clings to him."

"I want Kat to pay for what she did," Kim said, "But first I want to prove something to her."

"What's that Kimberly?" Trini asked.

"That I'm the one Tommy wants."

"How are you going to do that?" Kira asked. Kim said nothing for awhile. She just stood there looking out at her friends. She allowed her gaze to sweep all of them before coming to rest on Tommy and Kat. The other four watched as a slow smile built on Kim's face. "What do you have in mind girl?" Trini asked,

"How do you guys feel about going dancing?" Kim said. Trini and Aiesha smiled as they caught on to her train of thought, "I think dancing sounds good Kim."

"Tell the others," she said then turned to walk off, "I'm going to get ready."

"For what?" Connor asked.

"I'm going shopping," she called over her shoulder. Trini and Aiesha laughed to each other and went to tell the others the news. Kira followed Kim up to her room, while Connor followed the others.

"What exactly are you going to do Kim?" she asked as she sat down on the bed. Kim was currently going through her closet looking for clothes.

"I'm not going to anything but go dancing," she said.

"But how is that going to help you?" Kira asked with a frown.

"Because, dating or not," she said, "Tommy can't stand to see me with another guy; he gets jealous."

"Ohhh, I get it now." Kim laughed then pulled out a yellow, one-shoulder top and held it up to Kira. "I think this would look perfect on you. Do you have any jeans?"

"Not with me," Kira said.

"That's ok," Kim said with a wave, "That's what shopping is for. Alright, I suggest you go take a shower before the boys come upstairs. I'm going to take one myself."

"Alright," Kira said. Within an hour, everyone was showered and ready to go to the mall. They spent the entire day shopping, much to the guy's dismay, and only came back early because they had to go out. Kim wasn't ready yet, so she told the others to go without her. As expected, Tri and Sha stayed behind with her. Kira did as well because she needed Kim's help with something, and Connor didn't want to leave Kira behind. Trent and Ethan teased him about it, as well as the rest of the guys. He brushed them off and handed over his keys to Trent and told them they would meet them at the club. About fifteen minutes after the others left, the three girls made their way downstairs. Connor's mouth fell open in shock. "You guys look beautiful," he managed after he got over shock.

"Why thank you," Kim said, "Well let's go." They gathered their stuff and headed out the door. The car ride was full of laughter and singing as they made their way to the club.

...

"Wow, this place is amazing," Krista said.

"I know," Angie remarked.

"Man, I can't believe Connor ditched us to come with the girls," Ethan said.

"Well Kira's his girlfriend now," Hayley said, "he probably wanted some more time with her."

"What I can't understand is why Tri and Sha both stayed back with Kim?" Kat asked.

"Oh Kat you should know by now that those three a like thee peas in a pod," Rocky laughed.

"Yes they are," Tanya said, "besides, I would have stayed back to, but I wanted to check out this place."

"And…" Adam said, knowing that there was another reason she had come with.

"And because Tri and Sha told me to look after those two," she said pointing to Rocky and Jason, who cried out, "Hey." The others laughed at the two of them. As they sat there, one of Tanya's favorite songs came on. She got up and pulled on Kat's hand, "Come dance with me." The two made their way to the floor and danced, half-way through, a guy asked Kat to dance. She hesitated for a moment, and looked towards the table to look at Tommy. Seeing him talking, she nodded and danced with him. As he spun her around, her eyes caught the table and saw Tommy looking up at the dance floor with a frown. She smiled and continued dancing. Back at the table the others were laughing and drinking waiting on the others to get there. Tommy looked up and saw Kat dancing with a guy. _**'She looks like she's having fun. Wait, why doesn't it bother me that she's dancing with some guy?'**_ he frowned, _**'Aren't guys supposed to get jealous when they see their girlfriends dancing with other guys?' **_ he was taken out of his thoughts by the arrival of Connor and the girls.

"What took you guys so long?" Ethan asked.

"We weren't that long," Kira said, "We left like fifteen minutes after you guys did." Ethan and Trent's eyes widen as they saw Kira, "Whoa, Kira you look great." Kira looked down at her outfit; the yellow one-shoulder top that she got from Kimberly, with long, form fitting blue jeans that Kim picked out for her at the mall, and a pair of yellow pumas. Her hair was straightened out and pulled back in half.

"Thanks," Kira said, "Kim helped me actually."

"Well what about us?" Trini and Aiesha asked as they stepped up to the table. This time it was Jason and Rocky's turn to open their eyes wide. Trini had her naturally straight here in curls, which she let hung around her shoulders. She was wearing a red strapless dress, with yellow stars, hearts and flowers decorating it, and red heels. Her make-up was light and she had a jacket thrown over her arms. Aiesha was wearing a jean- skirt that flared out about mid-thigh, a yellow spaghetti strap shirt, and the matching jacket to the skirt. Her braids were pulled back into a half a bun and she was wearing, like Kira, yellow pumas. "So what do you guys think?"

"Did Kim dress you guys too?" Adam asked.

"Yep," Trini said, "So what do you think?"

"I think I should've stayed home and let Kimberly dress me as well," Angela said. The others laughed at her comment.

"Where is Kimberly anyway?" Zack asked.

"Right here," Kim said as she came up to them, "I had to go get my purse from the car." Tommy's mouth dropped open at the sight of Kimberly. She was wearing form fitting jeans that hung low on her hips. The jeans had a pink design of a pond and you could faintly see a frog lounging on one of the lily pads, she was wearing a small silver belt that glittered whenever she moved. As his eyes traveled up, he saw that she was wearing a pink halter top, and her hair, like Kira and Aiesha, were pulled back into a half ponytail, except hers were in curls. Over the top, she was wearing the matching jean jacket. On her feet was a pink pair of ECKOs. No one but Trini and Aiesha knew that the clothes that they were wearing, was actually designed by Kimberly herself. "Well all of you look very beautiful," Billy said.

"So where are Kat and Tanya?" Kira asked.

"They're on the dance floor," Adam said, "Wait here they come now." As Tanya and Kat approached the table they saw the others, "Hey you guys made it and you look fabulous," Tanya said, "Did Kim dress you?" they laughed at the look on Kim's face.

"Yes she did," Aiesha said, "And I see she dressed you too." Tanya was wearing a yellow top with animal print.

"Yes she did," Tanya smiled, "I raided her closet while she was in the shower." The all laughed at that and even harder at the look on Kim's face. "I so have to get better friends," she muttered.

"Well you can't because you're stuck with us," Tanya said as she stuck her tongue out, "So there."

"Real mature T," Kim smiled.

"I know," Tanya replied. They pulled up another table so that they could all fit. They ate, laughed, talked, and drank; just relaxing with each other and having fun. They were sitting there, when Kim heard a song come one, "Oh I love this song. Come on guys."

"Not I," Kat said, "Me and Tanya just had a go around."

Kim realized that the others were too tired to move, so she left them and went to the dance floor. When she left, the others heard the song start, it was _'When I grow up'_ by the Pussycat Dolls. The others looked on as Kimberly started dancing. "I didn't know she could move like that," Rocky said.

"Kim's always been a dancer," Jason said, "She and Zack used to dance a lot together, as they were the only two with enough energy to keep up with each other."

"And with gymnastics, she had to have some dancing in between," Billy said. The others watched on and saw a guy go up to Kimberly. They saw as he tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to dance. Kim laughed and nodded.

_Intro x2__  
Boys call you sexy (What's up, sexy)  
And you don't care what they say  
See, every time you turn around  
They scream your name_

_Verse 1__  
Now I've got a confession  
When I was young I wanted attention  
And I promised myself that I'd do anything  
Anything at all for them to notice me_

_Bridge:__  
But I aint complaining  
We all wanna be famous  
So go ahead and say what you wanna say  
You know what it's like to be nameless  
Want them to know what your name is  
'Cause see when I was younger I would say_

_Chorus:__  
When I grow up  
I wanna be famous  
I wanna be a star  
I wanna be in movies  
When I grow up  
I wanna see the world  
Drive nice cars  
I wanna have groupies  
When I grow up  
Be on TV  
People know me  
Be on magazines  
When I grow up  
Fresh and clean  
Number one chick when I step out on the scene_

_Hook x2__  
Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it  
You just might get it  
You just might get it_

_Verse 2__  
They used to tell me I was silly  
Until I popped up on the TV  
I always wanted to be a superstar  
And knew that singing songs would get me this far_

_Bridge__  
__Chorus___

_Hook x2__  
Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it  
You just might get it  
You just might get it_

_Verse 3__  
I see them staring at me  
Oh I'm a trendsetter  
Yes this is true 'cause what I do, no one can do it better  
You can talk about me  
'Cause I'm a hot topic  
I see you watching me, watching me, and I know you want it_

The other looked as the song went into a prolonged beat. They saw Kim start moving very similar to the way the PCD girls did in the video. Tommy watched as they guy put his hands on Kim and felt jealousy rise up in him. He clenched his fists under the table and had to refrain himself from getting up and storming over there. Trini turned to say something to Tanya, when she saw Tommy's eyes flash green. She looked to where he was watching and saw Kim dancing with the guy still. _**'Oh my, this is interesting.' **_ Trini wasn't the only that noticed Tommy's reaction, Jason saw it as well. _**'I knew it. He didn't even bat an eye when Kat was dancing, now he looks ready to tip that guy a new one.' **_ Leaning so that no one could understand what he was saying, Jason whispered to Tommy, "Bro you better chill out before someone sees that magic show you're putting on with your eyes."

Tommy shook himself and turned his head to Jason, "What?"

"Your eyes were flashing bro," Jason murmured, then thought, _**'If I had any doubt about how you feel about Kim, they're totally gone now.' **_Trini nudged Aiesha, who was sitting right next to her, and being very subtle, she shifted her eyes to Tommy and then to Kim. Aiesha followed Trini's eye movement and was shocked and secretly pleased to see the raw jealousy in Tommy's eyes. She watched as Jason leaned over to say something to him, and saw his eyes bank over. Deciding to step in before Tommy did something he'd regret; Aiesha stood up and said, "I am not letting my girl dance this song alone."

"She's not alone," Kat pointed out with a smile, but lost it quickly when she looked at Tommy. _**'I can't believe it. He looks like a jealous boyfriend. She was right, that just proves that he still has feelings for her. What am I going to do? NO, don't think like that. He's with me, he chose me, not her. And I'm not giving him up, not after everything I did to get him.' **_

"Same here," Trini said, "Let's go." Her statement was echoed by agreements from the rest of the girls except to Kat and Hayley. The girls stood up, and made their way to the dance floor._  
__  
Chorus___

_Hook x2___

_Chorus___

_Hook x2_

Kim and the girls danced until the end of the song, and continued dancing as _Pon De Replay_ came on. The girls danced until the song was over. The dj came on and announced that they would start Karaoke soon. Trini got an idea, and when the girls were heading back to the table, she whispered it to Aiesha. Kim said she had to use the bathroom, and Kira offered to go with her. Getting a look from Trini, Aiesha said she was going with them. Trini gave Sha a smile and made her way, discreetly, over to the dj booth. She whispered her instructions to him, and smiled when he nodded. She then made her way to the table to wait on Aiesha, Kim and Kira.

_In the bathroom_

"Girl you were amazing," Aiesha said.

"Thanks," Kim said breathlessly, "I totally love that song."

"I could tell," Kira laughed.

"Well, I have some juicy news for you guys," Aiesha said, "It's about Tommy."

"What?" Kim asked.

"Well it turns out that your performance with that cutie that you were dancing with caused our former leader to go green," Aiesha said with barely concealed delight.

"Don't you mean it cause him to see green?" Kira asked.

"No, see Tommy first became a ranger as the evil green ranger," Kim said softly so no one would overhear, "When he was evil his eyes would flash green. After we broke the spell and saved him, he joined our side, and his evil side was gone."

"But there was some after effects," Aiesha said, "Whenever Tommy got really angry or jealous, which he usually did when it came to some guy messing with or hitting on Kimberly, then his eyes would flash green."

"So when Dr O's eyes flashed green," Kira said now understanding what they were saying, "It meant that he was extremely jealous."

"Exactly," Aiesha said, "Which proved Kim's point to Kat; which is that Tommy still loves her." The girls all laughed. They fixed their hair and re-touched their make-up, when Kira asked, "So how are you going to get back at Kat?"

"I've already started," Kim said with a smile.

"You have?"

"Yes, see the thing is, just telling the secret won't be any fun," Kim said, "I have to make her sweat, and to do that I have to make her see the truth."

"Which is…?"

"That Tommy loves me and always will," Kim said, "And you know what? I won't even have to lift a finger. Tommy and Kat are going to prove it to themselves. Then either I'm going to tell, or I'm going to make Kat paranoid enough to spill the beans all on her own."

"Well however you decide to do it," Kira said, "You have my help."

"Good," Aiesha said, "Now let's go back out, they're having karaoke and I want to hear some of those people sing." Kim and Kira laughed as they made their way out of the restroom. The others looked up as the trio came back to the table laughing.

"You know," Rocky said, "I'll never understand why women go to the bathroom together and come out laughing."

"Don't worry Rocky," Billy said, "That's a mystery we'll never uncover." They all had a laugh at that. They sat and listened to people go up and sing; some were good, others were funny, and the rest had them covering their ears.

"Ok, now time for our random hour," the dj said, "This is where we'll choose one random person from the crowd and have them sing the very next song that comes up." Trini looked at Kim and smiled. It was random hour, but the choosing and the song wouldn't be random. She watched as they dj made a pretense of looking around the room, before coming to stop at their table, "Ok, how 'bout that pretty little lady sitting there in that pink top." Kat pointed to herself, and moved to stand up, "Not you, the brunette; the one that's sitting next to the Asian guy in black." Kim pointed to herself, "Me?" she asked.

"Yes you," he said. Kim got up and looked at the others who were encouraging her, "Do it Kim."

"Yea, it could be fun."

"Ok, I'll do it," she said. They cheered as she said that. Kim made her way to the stage and took the mike. She looked out at the crowd, then down at her friends. They were all laughing and cheering her on. She turned her attention back to the dj, "Ok your song is '_Girlfriend'_ by Avril Lavigne."

"Ok." Kim took a deep breath and waited for the words, when they did she started;

_(Chorus)_

_Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend_

Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
No, it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend  
  
_(Verse 1)_

_You're so fine  
I want you mine  
You're so delicious  
I think about ya all the time  
You're so addictive  
Don't you know what I could do to make you feel alright?  
Don't pretend I think you know I'm damn precious  
And Hell Yeah  
I'm the motherfucking princess  
I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right  
_  
_(Bridge)_  
_She's like so whatever  
And you could do so much better  
I think we should get together now  
And that's what everyone's talking about!_

_Chorus:_  
_Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I don't like your girlfriend!  
That's Right! No way! No way!  
I think you need a new one  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I could be your girlfriend_

Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
You know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend  
  
_Verse 2__  
I can see the way, I see the way you look at me  
And even when you look away I know you think of me  
I know you talk about me all the time again and again  
So come over here, tell me what I want to hear  
Better yet make your girlfriend disappear  
I don't want to hear you say her name ever again  
(And again and again and again!)_

_Bridge___

_Chorus___

Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I know that you like me  
No way! No way!  
You know it's not a secret  
Hey! Hey! You! You!  
I want to be your girlfriend

In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger  
Cause I can, cause I can do it better  
There's no other  
So when's it gonna sink in?  
She's so stupid  
what the hell were you thinking?!  
(Repeat)  


_(Chorus)_

The entire club erupted into cheers. But at one table the lyrics hit a little too closely to home. Even though they were all standing and cheering for her, they couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive at the coincidence of the song, and what was happening. All but four of them were thinking the same thing, _**'What a weird coincidence.' **_ Trini, Aiesha and Kira exchanged smiles and thought, _**'Perfect.' **_ Connor was laughing to himself at the looks on everyone's face, especially Kat's. He cheered even louder for his little sister, "Whoo, way to go Kim."

…

_In Paris_

"Honey you have to tell them," Pierre said to his wife in French.

"I can't," Caroline told her husband, "How can I tell Kimberly that I cheated on her father?"

"It wasn't like that," Pierre said, "And you know it. Ken was cheating on you; he was abusing you emotionally, and you guys were on a trial separation."

"But that doesn't make it right," she said.

"You had just found out he was cheating on you, and you met someone that was going through the same thing. He made you feel special. Trust me, Kimberly will understand."

"I just don't know what to do," she cried.

"Tell them, they deserve to know," he pleaded.

"How do I do that?" She asked, "Pierre, how do I tell Kimberly she has twin younger brothers? How do I tell her that Connor is one of her brothers?"

A/N: Another cliff hanger. Now who saw that coming? Honestly, I never thought that I would go that way with it, but I started typing and it came out so I left it. Next chapter will be a flashback chapter. It will be about Kim's mom and Connor's dad. I'm almost to the point of bringing Kat's secret out. I can't wait for it, so as always R&R.

_Songs used: 'When I grow up' _by the Pussycat Dolls_; 'Girlfriend' _by Avril Lavigne


	15. Flashback: How it all began

A/N: finally it's here. Sorry for the long wait. If it seems a bit rushed, I apologize. Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: still own nothing.

_Caroline Renoir-Hart had just dropped her seven year old daughter off at one of her best friends' house. Alicia Scott had been kind enough to take Kimberly for her. She just had to get away from it all. It was now June, and the place was clear and beautiful; but she couldn't even enjoy the warm summer breeze or the sunshine. She had just found out that her husband of eight years was cheating on her. She had always suspected it, but she never had any proof. __**'Well walking in on them surely qualifies as more than enough proof,'**__ she thought to herself. It didn't surprise her in the least. They fought all the time. Sometimes she wondered why they stayed together for as long as they did. She was glad that she had enrolled Kimberly into that toddlers' gymnastics class when she was younger, and was glad that she had friends. At least that way, her daughter wouldn't be subjected to the fights that were a constant thing in the house. Right now, she and her husband, Kenneth Hart, were on a trial separation. Caroline sighed and started walking again. She had her head down, so she wasn't paying attention and walked into someone, _

"_Oh I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't see you there." she raised her head and gasped softly. Looking back at her was a very handsome man with brown eyes that reminded of warm chocolate._

"_Are you ok?" the man asked. He looked into the woman's eyes and saw how beautiful she was._

"_I'm fine," she said, "I wasn't really paying attention like I said."_

…

_Jordan McKnight was walking through the Angel Grove Park. He and his wife Sandra were having problems and he just needed to get away. They had a huge fight two days ago, and he stayed away for fear that he would do something that he would regret. He got in his car and drove straight from San Francisco, until he had finally stopped in Angel Grove. He rented a hotel room to try and think about his marriage and where it was going. This morning he got up and decided to walk around. He stopped at the local youth center to grab a bite to eat, and then he headed out to the park. He walked and walked until the one thing he didn't want to do, he ended up doing; thinking about his wife. __**'What am I going to do? Sandy's been so angry lately. Ever since she found out she couldn't have kids. We fight all the time, and we haven't had sex in weeks, not since that doctor's visit. I want my wife back, but I don't know how much more I can take.' **__He sighed. He looked around, and then started walking again. His head down, he didn't see the woman coming, the next thing he knew he had walked into her, and she was already apologizing, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."_

"_Are you ok?" he asked, then looked at her face and was surprised at how beautiful she was. _

"_I'm fine," she said, "I wasn't really paying attention like I said." Caroline looked everywhere but the man's face. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks and felt heat where his hands rested on her hips. Jordan was struck silent by the woman in his arms. Her dark brown hair hung just below her shoulders and her eyes sparkled, despite the fact that she seemed so distracted. _

"_Are you sure you're ok?" he asked again. _

_Caroline giggled as she looked at him, "Yes I'm fine. I'm just a bit clumsy that's all."_

"_Ok," he said, "I'm Jordan by the way, Jordan McKnight."_

"_Caroline Renoir," she said. __**'I wonder why I didn't say my married name.'**_

"_Sounds French," he smiled._

"_It is," she said, "My parents came from France."_

"_Well Caroline, I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering if I could buy you lunch," he said, "As an apology for bumping into you." __**'What am I doing? I'm married. But in the few seconds that I've met her, I don't seem to really care.'**_

"_Sure, that would be good," she said with a smile. The two turned and started walking in the opposite direction, back to where the youth center was. On the way they talked about everything. She found out that he was a construction worker from Reefside, and he found that she was an Interior Designer. They talked all day and at the end, were sad to see the other go. They made plans for the next day, and went their separate ways. Caroline entered the Scott's home with the most genuine smile on her face for the first time in a while. Alicia looked up from making the kids something to eat, and watched as her best friend came into the house with a smile on her face. She smiled and said, "Wow, haven't seen that smile on your face in a long time."_

"_Hey," she smiled, "Was Kim good?" she knew she didn't have to ask, but sometimes she did anyway. Her daughter was not only hyper, but she had a temper as well._

"_Are you kidding?" Alicia said, "Of course she was good, besides she's my little helper." Alicia knew all about the little girl's temper. It only comes out when she gets really angry._

"_What do you mean?" Caroline asked. Alicia looked up and pointed to where Jason, Zack and Billy were sitting. Caroline turned and saw the three boys sitting there. Billy looked a little scared, whereas Jason and Zack looked beat and torn. Caroline shook her head and turned back to Alicia, "What happened?"_

_Alicia laughed as she looked at the boys, "Well apparently Jason and Zack thought that it would be fun to pull Kimberly's hair and then throw her doll into the small mud pit at the back."_

_Laughing and shaking her head, Caroline turned back to her, "I swear Lish, those boys don't learn."_

"_Tell me about it Carrie," Alicia said, "So, are you going to tell me what put that smile on your face?" at her words, Caroline couldn't stop the smile from coming on her face. She thought about the day she had had with Jordan. __**'I had more fun today than any other day with Ken. I wonder what we'll do tomorrow.' **__She was broken out of her thoughts by Alicia's voice, "CARRIE!"_

"_What?"_

"_Where were you girl?" Alicia asked with amusement shining in her eyes. _

"_I was just thinking about today," she sighed. _

"_What about today?" Alicia asked curiously. Her best friend looked like she was troubled over something. She hoped that it had nothing to do with Ken. Caroline gave pause as she thought about what she wanted to say. She looked over at her best friend. She and Alicia had been friends since she first came to the United States when she was eight years old. They hit it off instantly when Caroline was being teased on for her French accent, and Alicia came to her rescue. Ever since, they've been close. There was nothing that she couldn't tell her. She was scared that she would be angry, but remembered that Alicia was always there for her, no matter how bad she messed up. Sure she was close to the others, MaryAnn Taylor and Shiori Kwan, but in truth she hadn't met them until high school, and she hadn't met Aileen Cranston until she moved here with husband David and son Billy when Kim and the others were starting kindergarten. All four were like sisters, and they had mourned together when Aileen had died from cancer earlier this year, but she knew Alicia longer, so she knew that whatever she told her would stay between the two of them. "If I tell you something, will you keep it strictly between us? No telling Preston?" she asked, referring to her husband._

"_Carrie, you know I won't tell," Alicia said, now getting scared at the thought that something was wrong, "But I promise anyways if it makes you feel better."_

_Caroline took a deep breath and asked, "Have you ever felt something that was so new and it made you feel amazing, but it wasn't from where you thought it would be?" taking one look to make sure that the kids were ok, Alicia grabbed her friend's hands and led her to the back porch. _

"_Car, what's going on?" she asked, "What are you talking about?"_

"_I met someone," she said._

"_What do you mean, you met someone?"_

"_Well at the park," Caroline said, "I literally ran into him when I was walking. He was so sweet Lish. He offered to buy me lunch and I did, and we talked." Alicia looked on as Caroline talked. Her best friend's eyes sparkled as recalled her day. The only other time she had seen her eyes sparkled like that, was whenever it had something to with Kimberly. _

"_Oh Lish, we had so much in common," Caroline said, "We talked about everything. And you know what? For the first time in a long time, I felt special; like I was the only thing that mattered."_

"_Oh Carrie," Alicia said._

"_Do you know how nice it is to feel special by someone other than your daughter?" Caroline asked as she looked her in the eyes, "My daughter is the most important thing to me, and I love how she makes me feel special, but sometimes…"_

"_Sometimes it would be nice to feel that from someone that can relate to you," Alicia finished._

"_Exactly," she said, "And that's how he made me feel. I don't know how else to explain it Lish, I don't know why he makes me feel that way, but he does." _

"_Oh honey," Alicia said. She could see the emotions in her eyes and could see that her friend was staring to have some sort of feelings for this guy. "I was always told that the heart wants what it wants, and you can't help who you like, and as your best friend, it's my duty to let you know when you screwing up."_

"_Of course," Caroline said, wondering where she was going._

"_But it's also my duty to stick by you, no matter what," Alicia said, "So if you like this guy, then be honest with him and be sure this is what you want. Remember that what you do, affects not only you, but that sweet seven year old girl in there that is counting on her mom."_

"_I know," Caroline sighed, "I'd die before I do anything to hurt her, but I can't help how I feel. I know it's only been a few hours, but…"_

"_I'm in no way condoning adultery, and you know what happened with Ken, all I'm saying, all I'm asking is for you to think about this."_

"_I will," Caroline said, and then moved to hug her._

"_So tell me," Alicia teased, "Is he cute?"_

"_Alicia!" Caroline laughed._

"_Well that answered that question," Alicia said as she hugged her again, "Remember, be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."_

"_I will." True to her word, Caroline told Jordan everything the next time she saw him. He was very understanding and told her about his problems as well. Over the next few weeks, they spent most of their free time together. Jordan would drive down from San Francisco and they would spend days together. It was in September, when she found out that she was pregnant. She was scared and excite at the same time. Alicia, of course, was the first one that she told. Ken was overseas on business, had been ever since she caught him with his co-worker, and was due back in October. She wasn't sure how to tell Jordan. With Alicia, she went to the doctor and found out that she was only two months pregnant and she was due in April of next year. Because of his construction job, Jordan was now on the road a lot, so it was easy to keep it from him. As her pregnancy went along, Alicia helped her hide it well so that no one would know. It was around thanksgiving, when she had gone in for a sonogram, that she was told she was expecting twins. Alicia had been worried at how big she was getting for just four months and had convinced her to get checked out. She had also convinced her to tell Jordan about the pregnancy. Around the same time, Ken Hart had come back into town, wanting them to try to reconcile after everything. She was confused as to what to do, being that she still loved him. She had told Jordan, and he was very excited about becoming a father as well. She told him about Ken, and was shocked when he told her the exact thing about Sandra, his wife. Ken understood that she had a daughter to think of, and that she was still in love with her husband, because he was still in love with his wife. It was around New Year's when everything went downhill. Ken had decided to surprise his wife by coming home early and taking her out to dinner. He entered the bedroom, and was shocked at the sight. His wife, his six months' pregnant wife was standing there in nothing but a skirt and bra. _

"_What the hell?" he asked outraged._

_Caroline turned towards the doorway in shock, "Ken, what are you doing home?" _

"_I came home to surprise you, but I guess the surprise is on me," he said, "You've been cheating on me?"_

"_Ken, it's not like that," she said. _

"_Oh it's not?" he snarled, "You're pregnant Caroline, and I know it's not by me. Which means you've been cheating on me, how could you?"_

_That made Caroline angry, "How could I? You cheated on me first Ken. You fight with me all the time, you're never home. My God, your own daughter sees more of Preston than she does her own father."_

"_Don't put this on me," he said._

"_Why shouldn't I?" she asked, "Don't play innocent. I never set out to cheat on you, but you set out to cheat on me. You hurt not only me, but Kimberly as well."_

"_Don't bring my daughter into this."_

"_Your daughter?" she asked, "You know nothing about 'your' daughter."_

"_I do."_

"_Oh really?" she asked, "Do you even know what her favorite color is? Do you know the reason why she was in the hospital after Easter, after Aileen died?"_

_Ken could say nothing. But it seemed that she wasn't waiting on him as she continued talking, "She had a meet, and she had heard us fighting nights before it happened. She was also sick but didn't say anything because she thought that we would be angry at her if she didn't do the meet. She thought if she did the meet, then we would stop fighting. Our daughter put her health at risk because of you, because of us." She would never forget how she had felt when Alicia had told her that. It had hurt to know that she was partially to blame for her daughter being hospitalized. _

"_So what?"_

"_So I met someone," she said, "Someone that made me feel special; special in a way that I hadn't felt in a long time."_

"_Well no wife of mine is having some bastard's kid," he said._

"_I'm not having an abortion," she said, shocked at the thought. _

"_Who said anything about that?" he sneered, "Well obviously it's too late anyways. No, I have an idea." And with that he walked off, leaving his wife very much confused and dreading what his idea was. She called Alicia and Jordan and told them what had happened. Two weeks later, Caroline was sitting on her couch, her daughter chattering away about her upcoming birthday. She heard the doorbell and moved to get it. As she opened the door, she stood there in shock. Standing on the other side was none other than Sandra McKnight, Jordan's wife. _

"_Can I come in?"_

"_Sure," she said, "Kimberly could you go to your room please?"_

"_But mommy, I'm not done," Kimberly whined._

"_Kimberly Annabelle Hart, don't you dare throw a tantrum and do as I say," she said sternly. She did not want her daughter to witness whatever was going to happen._

"_Fine mommy," Kim said as she picked up her doll and made her way up the stairs to her room._

"_What can I do for you?" Caroline asked._

"_Oh cut the pleasantries," Sandra said, "You know why I'm here. Apparently you've been seeing my husband since last summer."_

"_How do you know that?" Caroline asked confused._

"_I think you know," Sandra said. Caroline looked at for a minute before it dawned on her, "Ken told you."_

"_Yes, he also told me that you are very pregnant," she said, "And I can see that."_

"_What are you doing here? What do you want?"_

"_Your baby," she said with a small smile._

_A chill went up Caroline's spine. There was no way she heard her right, "What?"_

"_You heard me," Sandra said, no smile on her face now, "I'm sure you know that I can't have kids, and I know that Jordan would love it, you already have a child, so I think it's only fair."_

"_Fair? How is that fair?"_

"_Because I want kids and you are pregnant with __**my **__husband's baby," she said, "So either give me the baby, or…"_

"_Or what?" Caroline asked._

"_Or lose your daughter," she shrugged. She stood up and walked to the door, "You have until March to decide. Be happy that I'm giving you time." And with that, she walked out the door. Caroline sat there, long after she left. She kept going over the conversation in head. In a daze, she stood and walked to her daughter's room. She opened the door, and watched as her daughter was playing house. Her heart ached at the thought of losing her and at losing the twins. She didn't know what to do. She went to Alicia's place and cried on her shoulder as she told her what happened. Her daughter's birthday came and went. She was still seeing Jordan and had told him what happened. They talked and as much as it hurt, she decided that she couldn't lose her daughter. She had decided to give him the twins. She had also thought about that Ken. She didn't want her kids to grow up being hated by him, or even calling him dad. She thought about her marriage; the fights, the angry words, and decided that raising one child was bad enough; she didn't want to put two more through it. And she also knew without a doubt that they would always be the target of Ken's anger, and she didn't want that. Jordan had understood and had assured her that the kids would know her. March came and went and it was now April. Her due date was fast approaching. She was standing around at a barbecue that the Kwan's were having when her water broke. _

(A/N: the others know that she is pregnant, but they think that Ken's the father, only Alicia Scott knows the truth)

_She was rushed to the hospital immediately. Alicia called Jordan discreetly and let him know what was up. Afterwards she went to be with her friend. When the twins were born, they didn't have a name yet, so they were called baby1 and baby2. The doctors had shoved everyone but Alicia out of the room, saying that they could visit tomorrow. As soon as the other left, Jordan came._

"_Hey, how are you?"_

"_I'm fine," Caroline said, "Come meet our sons."_

"_You mean __**our **__sons?" Sandra asked as she came in the room. Caroline shook her, not wanting to fight after just giving birth, "So have you decided?" Caroline looked down at the sleeping boys in her arms. She loved them with all heart, and it would be hard to let go, but she knew she had to, "Yes I have."_

"_Well?"_

"_I'm going to let the bots go with their father," she said with tears in her eyes, "Better him than some stranger. And I know that despite our differences, you will love them as your own. Would you like to hold them?"_

_Sandra was shocked. She honestly hadn't expected her to do what she was doing. As she took one of the boys in her arms, she felt joy go through her, "What are their names?"_

"_They don't have any yet," Alicia said as she watched the woman. She didn't trust her, but she did seem to be genuinely captivated by the baby._

"_Actually I have an idea for names," Jordan said._

"_What?" Alicia asked._

"_Well I was thinking that baby1," he said referring to the baby in his wife's arms, "Is going to be called Eric Jordan McKnight, and baby2 is Connor Jayden McKnight." Caroline and Alicia both gasped softly at the names. Eric was the shortened form of Caroline's middle name, Erica; and Jayden was a combination of her parents names, Jamison and Dennica. __**'So that's why he asked me my full name and that of my parents.'**_

"_I know that you love these babies, but I do have one request," Sandra said. Every looked at the auburn haired woman. _

"_What is it?" Caroline asked._

"_You are to stay away from the twins," Ken said coming into the room, startling them._

"_What?!"_

"_You heard me," he said, "I let you give birth to them, now if you want to see your daughter then you agree." _

"_I already agreed to give them up, why can't that be enough?" she asked._

"_Because I don't want them confused as to who their parents are," Sandra said calmly. _

"_Now wait just a minute," Alicia started only to be stopped by Caroline's arm, "No wait Lish. It's ok."_

"_What?" she said incredulously, "You can't be serious."_

"_I am," she said, "I can't lose my daughter. It sucks to have to choose, but I can't allow them to be brought up in that house, where they might feel Ken's anger. Kim's his daughter so she won't feel much, but the twins aren't."_

"_You're braver than I am," Jordan said._

_She gave a tiny smile and looked at Sandra, "Just promise me something."_

"_What?"_

"_Promise to love them and be there for them," she said as the tears flowed down her cheeks, "Always put them first, and let them know every day that they are loved."_

"_I will," Sandra said, "And I know it may not seem like it, but I am sorry." The nurse came in and wrote up the birth certificate with the names. The twins stayed in the hospital overnight, and then left along with Sandra and Jordan. Caroline cried in Alicia's arms as she watched them leave. Later at her house, after many explanations as to why she didn't have the boys, she sat in her room silently crying. Her door pushed opened and she looked up to see her eight year old daughter looking at her, "Mommy, why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?"_

_Caroline gave her daughter a watery smile. She leaned over and pulled her onto the bed with her, "Yes sweetie, mommy had a bad dream." __**'One I wish I could wake up from.'**__ "But you know what?"_

"_What mommy?" young Kimberly asked._

"_I'm going to be fine because I've got you," she said as she kissed her, "Now let's get some sleep. Mommy's tired."_

"_OK," Kim said, "I love you mommy."_

"_I love you too baby." They fell asleep in each other's arms. Weeks went without word from Jordan. She heard from him in June, one year after they met. He had told her why he chose to name the kids after her, saying tat by doing that, she would always be with them, even if they didn't know it. She knew that he and his wife had moved from San Francisco, but to where she had no clue. Months turned into years, as she went on with her life. She still thought about them, but knew in her heart they were ok. She had finally divorced from Ken and had gotten remarried to French artist and art dealer, Pierre Dumas. Pierre knew all about what had happened, and had been there when she finally broke down and let out the emotions that she had been holding inside since she gave her boys up. She moved to Paris, her homeland, leaving her daughter behind. She was sad, but knew that she was well taken care of. As it was, her mind would wonder about her three kids, but she knew deep down that she would see them again and couldn't wait for the day when it did. _

A/n: ok. I'm glad I got this chapter over with. Just to let you know, the next chapters are going be revealing chapters. I just can't wait anymore. The others need to know. Secrets are going to come out in the next few chapters.

A/N 2: to those that are possibly confused about the twin thing; Connor actually mentioned a few times in DT about a twin that lives up in Blue Bay Harbor (maybe during the episode with the NS gang. I think it was call 'Thunderstruck'; I'm not too sure though), and if you remember at the end of NS, three teens were late to class; the guy Eric is Connor's twin. Well anyway, you guys know what to do, push that little button below and send a review. Your opinions matter, but I should warn you, any flames will not be taken into consideration and will actually be used to warm my house.

A/N 3: I'm working on the next chapter for HBC, should have it up by tomorrow.


	16. Words and WHAT?

A/N: well guys, here's the next chapter; finally. I am so sorry for taking so long. I hope you guys like it

Disclaimer: own nothing except the bartender and Steve

Kim walked off the stage laughing. She couldn't believe the song that she had been chosen to sing. _**'That song was too close to home.' **_She looked over at the table and saw Trini and Aiesha with a mischievous smile on their face. _**'I bet they had something to do with it.' **_She looked over towards Kat and saw her hold on to Tommy's arm. _**'Man this is going to be fun. That girl is too insecure. I wonder how I can take advantage of that.'**_ Kim walked up to the table with a smile on her face, "That was so much fun. I'm glad you guys talked me into it."

"We can tell you had fun," Tanya said.

"Yea, especially when you were dancing with that guy," Kat said with a smirk, "You guys looked so cute." Kim raised an eyebrow at her comment. She looked around at the others and realized that Trini, Aiesha and Kira were just as puzzled. When her gaze landed on Tommy she saw the way his eyes hardened. She smiled and said, "I know, he was really cute, and such a good dancer too." She giggled at the look in Tommy's eyes; it was pure anger and jealousy.

"And the way he was holding you when you were dancing, "Kat smiled even wider, "I swear I could see sparks." Kim chuckled and shook her head; she could clearly see what Kat was doing. She looked back at Tommy and said with a smile, "Well sparks or not, he was not my type."

"Well what is your type?" Connor asked with a smile.

"OH you know," she shrugged, "Someone tall, dark, handsome, mysterious." The others laughed. Trini and Aiesha picked up on the twinkle in her eyes, while Tommy was sporting a blush. Kat looked absolutely furious.

"Hey you know," Rocky said, "That sounds exactly like Tommy."

"Nah, really?" Kim smiled, "I didn't think so." She turned to Tommy, "After all, Tommy is my brother, right?" the others looked shocked that she would say such a thing, and was even more shocked when Tommy started chuckling, "Well then as your brother, I guess I have to check him out don't I? And warn him about you and your stubbornness…"

"Hey!"

"…and your shopping," he said. He started laughing at the look on your face.

"You know, maybe I shouldn't be your best friend anymore," she said pouting. Tommy moved from his place by Kat and walked around to Kim's side. When he got there he put his arm around her shoulders, "Hey now, you don't really mean that do you?" Kat raised her eyebrow at the sudden move. _**'I can't believe it. Why does he always do that? He has a girlfriend that's standing right here, and it's like he doesn't care; he keeps choosing her.' **_

"Why shouldn't I?" Kim asked; a small smile playing on her lips.

"Because I'm your best friend, and I'm sweet, funny, nice…" he smirked. _**'What am I doing? I have girlfriend, but yet I'm still flirting with Kim. She just makes me feel so relaxed; like we never broke up at all. I got so jealous when I saw her dancing with that guy. Ugh, it's so hard. Torn between two women; one who is completely in love with me and the other that I'm completely in love with, who knows me better than anyone; even Kat. What to do?'**_

"Sweet, funny, nice?" she said, moving out of his arms, "Now whoever told you that you were all those things?"

He reached out and pulled her back into his arms, "Aww Kim, come on, don't be such a…"

"Such a what, Tommy?" she raised an eyebrow, "And choose your words carefully Mr. Oliver."

The others chucked silently at the look on Tommy's face. Tommy looked around at them before bringing his gaze back to the beautiful woman in front of him. Very much aware that the wrong word could cause him to be on the receiving end of her anger, he said, "Such a wonderfully sweet woman yet feisty enough to kick my ass." Kim laughed, as did the others, at his answer, "Nice answer."

"I know," he grinned, "But your welcome."

"So, what now?" Caitlin asked.

"We're at a club," Kim said, "What do you think is going to happen next but dancing and drinking." Everyone cheered at that, even the DT gang.

"OH no," Tommy said, shaking his head when he say his kids excited, "You six are underage. There's no way that I'm going to allow to drink under my supervision."

"But Dr O..."

"Oh come one…"

They all started protesting until Kim spoke up, "Sorry guys, he's right. You guys got into this club and you're underage, I'm not about to get all of us thrown out or in jail for allowing you to drink."

"Sorry," Tanya said, "But if you guys want to stay, then you have to settle for non-alcoholic drinks."

"So what's going to be?" Angela asked. The six teens looked at each other, then back at the adults.

"I want to stay," Kira said, "So I'm cool with it."

"Same here," Cait and Krista said. The others turned to the three boys. "Well, what about you three?" Jason asked.

"Well, I guess if we really want to stay," Connor said, "then we have to listen right?"

"Right," Ethan and Trent nodded.

"So, no alcoholic drinks for the underage guys," Rocky said, "Well let's get this party started." Cheers went up around the table. Everyone sat down and started talking. Kim was seated between Tommy and Aiesha, who was sitting next to Trini, followed by Jason, Rocky, Tanya, Kira, Connor, Adam, Billy, Hayley, Cait, Ethan, Trent, Krista, Zack and finally Kat, who was sitting on the opposite side of Tommy. It was quite funny to Kira that Tommy would be sitting between Kim and Kat. The gang talked, laughed and ate. It was clear to anyone that it was a very tight group of people. You could see that there was something about them that just screamed love, friendliness, family. You could see how much they cared. But if you looked closer, you would see the turmoil in someone's eyes; the insecurity, the wariness. You would see how when they laughed, it didn't really reach their eyes. You would see the closeness between some, and the distance and coldness between a few. After awhile, Kim's phone went off. "Oh, I'm sorry guys, I have to take this."

"No problem girlie," Tanya said, "Just hurry back."

"Ok," she said, and then left to go outside.

"I wonder what that phone call is about," Kat said as she looked to where Kim had gone.

"Who knows?" Aiesha shrugged, "She'll let us know when she gets back."

"I'm going to try and find a bathroom in this place," Tommy said.

"Oh, just go straight through there, and then take a left," Kira said.

"Thanks Kira," Tommy told her before he took off. Kim came back to the table a few minutes later.

"Hey girl," Angela said, "What was the call about?"

"I'll tell you guys when we get home," Kim said. She looked around and aw that Tommy wasn't there, so she asked, "Where's Tommy?"

"He went to empty himself," Rocky said.

"Empty himself? What do you mean and where?" Kim asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Rocky don't be a dick," Adam said.

"I don't have to be one," Rocky smiled, "But I do have one. Would you like to see?"

The adults chuckled, while the teens had looks of disgust on their faces.

"I'd love to but I'd have to get a large size magnifying glass to find it," Adam said. The others laughed at the look on Rocky's face. Rocky opened his mouth but was cut off by Kim, "As much fun as it is to hear Adam and Rocky discuss how much they want to see each other's dicks, can someone answer the question."

"Why do you want to know Kim?" Kat asked, "It's not like it's your boyfriend." The others looked a little shocked at what Kat said.

"No he's not, but he is my friend," Kim said, "Look, I was just asking. I went out, left all of you here, I came back and one is not. It was a legitimate question."

"Jeez Kat," Aiesha said, "It was just a question, no need to show your claws." She turned to Kim, "Fly boy had to go to the bathroom." Kim turned to Rocky, "Why didn't you just say that?"

"I was going to," he said.

"Uhuh, you know, I think that you just wanted to sneak by yourself and check on Tommy's…"

"Hey!" Rocky said.

"What?" Kim smiled, "You're the one that wants to play 'you show me yours, I'll show you mine' with Adam." The others laughed at the look on their faces. Rocky and Adam were protesting but no one was paying attention.

"Well I'm going to go get something to drink," Kim said she laughed at them, "Do you guys want something?"

"Sure I'll take a mimosa," Tanya said.

"Sex on the beach," Trini and Aiesha said.

"I'll take a plain old Heineken," Billy said.

"Smirnoff," Zack said. He turned to Angela, "Bailey's ok?"

"Sure, a Bailey's for me Kim," Angela answered.

"I'll take the same as Zack," Jason said.

"I'll take the same as Billy," Adam said.

"Me too," Rocky added.

"Ok," Kim said, "Just to make sure, I've got a Smirnoff for Zack and Jason, Bailey's for Angela, Heineken for Rocky, Billy and Adam, a Mimosa for Tanya, and a Sex on the Beach for both Tri and Sha. What about the rest of you?"

"A Corona would be fine for me," Hayley said.

"Alright," Kim said, "Kat?"

"What?"

Kim sighed, "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No thank you," Kat said before she turned her attention back to the floor, looking out for Tommy.

"Whatever," Kim said then turned to the others, "I know that you guys can't drink, but would you like something?"

"Nah that's ok," they waved her off.

"Ok," Kim smiled, "I'll be back."

"Wait," Kira said, "Won't you need help?"

"Nope," she shook her head, "they usually have trays at the bar. I'll just use those."

"OK," Kira said. Kim waved then made her way through the crowd. The others sat and waited for her to come back, and also wondering what was keeping Tommy.

"Wait," Hayley said, "Did anyone tell me Kim to get something for Tommy?" they looked around at each other, "I'll take that as a no."

"Don't worry about it Hayley," Jason said, "Kim will figure it out."

"How?" she asked skeptically.

"You'll see," Rocky said.

_At the bar_

"Excuse me," Kim said. The bartender made his way down towards her, "What can I do for you pretty lady?"

"Can I get a mimosa, two sex on the beach, a corona, a Bailey's, two Smirnoff, three Heinekens, a Cosmo and a José Cuervo please?"

"Sure," the bartender nodded. As he turned away, Kim looked around the club. She was amazed that she made it from their table to the bar so easily and quickly. The place was very popular and it was a little crowded. A voice on her left broke her out of her thoughts, "All those drinks for such a tiny lady. You sure know how to put them away," the voice said, "why don't you let me pay for them?"

She turned and saw a blond, good-looking but arrogant guy sitting there. She snorted as he relaxed into a pose that he thought was cute, "No thank you, I can pay for my own drinks." The man, not to be deterred leaned closer, "Now don't be so prissy; the name's Steve and all I'm asking is to pay for them and possibly have a good time." The bartender, at that time had returned with the drinks. When Kim reached for them, he grabbed her arm. She looked at it in surprise and rapidly approaching anger, "So, are you going to be nice?"

"No," Kim said, "But if you don't take your hand off me, I swear to you, I'm going to make you regret the day you became a man. Now let me go."

"Give me one good reason why I should?" he asked with a cocky smile. Kim opened her mouth to answer, but before she could another voice cut in, "Because if you don't, I'll break it." Both she and Steve turned to the voice of the newcomer. Kim smiled when she realized it was Tommy. Steve just narrowed his eyes, "Oh yea, and who are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend," Tommy said, anger coursing through him at the sight of the guy's hand on Kim.

"Hey babe," Kim smiled, though she knew he only said that to help her, she loved to hear it, "I was just getting some drinks for our friends. But Steve here wanted to buy them in exchange for something."

"You were propositioning my girl?" Tommy asked. He was beyond pissed. He was heading back from the bathroom when he saw Kim at the bar. As he made his way towards her, he saw the guy grab her arm. He was instantly filled with pure rage and anger.

"Look man," Steve started only to get cut off by Tommy.

"No you look, my girl asked you to leave her alone, and you didn't. Then you made the biggest mistake by putting your hands on her, so I suggest you let her go before they arrest me for murder." Seeing the look in Tommy's eyes, he dropped Kim's arm, "Sorry," he turned to Kim, "Sorry to bother you miss." When he left Kim turned back to Tommy. Seeing the look in his eyes, she leaned close and whispered so that he could hear, "Thanks, but you didn't have to go green ranger on him." When she pulled back, Tommy gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry," he said as he rubbed his neck, "I just saw him grabbing you and I guess I…"

"You don't have to apologize Tommy," she laughed, "I'm glad for the help. I was like a second away from going R.F on his ass."

"Well I'm glad to help," he said. He was going to say something else, but was interrupted by the bartender, "here's your drinks miss."

"Thanks," Kim smiled at him, and the guy lost his train of thought for a second, "How much?"

He shook himself off, and answered, "Fifty dollars." She opened her purse to take the money out, but was stopped by Tommy, "I got this Kim."

"You're sure? 'Cause I can pay for it," she asked.

"You're already letting us stay at you place," he said, "Let me pay."

"Ok," she said she put the money back. He opened his wallet and pulled the fifty out. He turned to the bartender, "Here you go buddy."

"No problem," the bartender replied, still looking at Kim.

"Hey can I have two trays?" Kim asked with a smile.

"Sure," he said and handed her the other one. Tommy didn't like the way the bartender was looking at Kim, so after splitting the drinks on the two trays, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her through the crowd.

"Are you going to tell me what that's about?" she asked, though it felt good to have his arm around her shoulders.

"What? I didn't like the way he was looking at you," Tommy said, though he was wondering himself. _**'Man I acted like a jealous boyfriend. But it does feel good to have her in my arms. I haven't felt so possessive in a long time. It only seems to come out around Kim though. This tells me that I still care about her; but I also care about Kat. So I know what I have to do. I hate to say this, but I have to choose between Kim and Kat. Man, someone is going to get hurt.' **_He was broken out of his thoughts by Kim, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Just thinking," he said.

"Uh oh," Kim teased, "Should you be doing that?"

"Hey now," he laughed, "Be mean to the guy that just saved your life."

"Saved my life?" she said, "I'll have you know, I could have handled it."

"Yea but I didn't want those pretty shoes or your hands to get damaged," he said.

"Well since you put it that way…" she laughed, "I guess I have to thank you."

"Yes you do," he said.

"So thank you," she laughed, "Did you see the look on that guy's face though?"

"I thought he was going to crap his pants," Tommy laughed, "He looked so scared."

Kim laughed and nudged him with her free hand, "Well if some guy was speaking to you in such a cold, heartless tone that sounded a lot like 'I'm seconds away from kicking your ass', you'd be scared too."

"Whatever," Tommy smiled, "He knows better next time. When a woman says no, she means it."

"Ahh, so you were saving future women then?" Kim said.

"But of course," He smirked, and then he remembered what he wanted to ask her before the bartender interrupted him, "Hey, what does R.F mean?"

She leaned in as they walked and pitched her voice low so no one would over here, "Well it was before the moon mission. We were talking about past days and battles and the whole Murianthesis thing came up. Adam said that when I was evil for some reason he thought of the red firebird thunderzord. The others agreed, and Jason nicknamed me R.F.; said that's what he's going to call me whenever I get so mad I blow up. When Tanya asked why, we told her that when we had upgraded to the thunderzords, I got the pterodactyl-firebird thunderzord, and the home for it and all my zords, was a volcano."

"You know," he said, "I think it does suit you."

"Me too," Kim said.

The others looked up to see both Kim and Tommy approaching the table smiling.

"What are you two smiling about?" Jason asked.

"Tommy, I thought you went to the bathroom?" Kat asked. _**'Damn it. Every time I turn around, those two are together. I swear it's like he doesn't even care that he has girlfriend.'**_

"I did," Tommy said, "But when I was coming back, I saw Kim at the bar."

"And fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it," she said, "He actually helped me and prevented me from trouble." The instant she said that, all the guys, except Trent and Ethan, slipped into big brother mode.

"What happened?" Tanya asked.

"Some guy at the bar was harassing me and Tommy stepped in," Kim said.

"What do you mean by harassing you?" Connor asked.

"The guy offered to pay for her drinks, when she refused, he grabbed her arm," Tommy said.

"WHAT?!" Jason, Rocky and Connor said together.

"Are you serious?" Zack asked.

"Let's go find him," Adam suggested. As the guys moved to get up, Kim placed the tray on the table.

"No one is going anywhere," she said, holding up her hand, "Tommy already chased the guy off. And you guys are not going to go look for him. We came here to have fun, and if you so much as move from the spot you're standing to go after him, then you will ruin the night and trust me, the wrath of Kim will have a whole new level."

"On second thought," Rocky said, "Let's just sit down and enjoy the drinks." The other guys nodded their agreements and sat back down.

"Scared?" Trini asked.

"Of Kim's anger," Jason said, "Hell yes. I'd like to enjoy this night in one piece thank you very much." They all laughed at that.

"She's not that bad, is she?" Krista asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Rocky asked, "After me, Sha and Adam joined the team, and before Jase, Tri and Zack left for Switzerland, the nine of us decided to hang out together and to pull a few pranks."

"We pulled pranks on each other except Kim," Adam said.

"Why not Kim?" Caitlin asked.

"Because she said she didn't want any part of it," Jason said.

"And besides, I was too busy with everything else," Kim said.

"So we decided to leave Kim out of it and pulled pranks on each other," Aiesha said, "But this guy here (pointing to Rocky), despite the warning of the others, decided to pull a prank on Kimberly."

"She got me good," Rocky said.

"I have never seen Kimberly so angry," Jason said.

"Well what happened?" Kira asked.

"I showed him why it wasn't a good idea to prank me when I say leave me alone," Kim smiled.

"Are you guys going to give us details?" Ethan asked.

"No not tonight," Zack said.

"How about never?" Rocky muttered, "Let's just say that I have a vague memory of that day. It's all fuzzy."

"Aww, cheer up guys," Kim laughed, "I've got drinks."

"Sweet," Adam said.

"Ok, so I've got Smirnoff for Zack and Jase, Heineken for Billy, Adam, and Rocky, Bailey's for Angela, a corona for Hayley, mimosa for Tanya, Sex on the Beach for Tri and Sha and a Cosmo for me and a Jose Cuervo for Tommy," Kim said as she handed out the drinks.

"Wait, I thought no one told you?" Hayley said as she took a sip of her drink.

"They didn't," Kim answered, "I've known since we were in high school, I just took a guess and hoped his tastes didn't change."

"Wait, you guys drank in high school?" Trent asked.

"Oh you guys haven't heard the best Tommy story," Kim smiled, and then she laughed at the look on Tommy's face.

"Tell us," Ethan said.

"No," Tommy said, "You are not corrupting my kids."

"Is this the one when you guys ended up at the park, and someone decided to take a swim in the lake?" Connor asked.

"Yep," Kim nodded.

"Oh man," Rocky laughed, "I remember that."

"That was just before we left, wasn't it?" Trini asked.

"Uhuh," Aiesha said, "Remember we had decided to have one last hurrah for all nine of us."

"Man I thought that those cops were going to catch us," Zack laughed.

"They probably would've," Billy said, "If it hadn't been for Kim."

"You were there?" Hayley asked Billy shocked.

"Yes," Billy said, "I tried to get out of not going, but…"

"But he was afraid of Kim, so he changed his mind," Adam said, "I tried it too."

They all laughed when he said that. You wouldn't believe that the first set of male rangers were afraid of the petite, bubbly woman.

"You know what?" Jason said, "On second thought, let's not tell that story."

"Why not?" Ethan asked.

"Because it implicates all of us," Zack said, "Not just Tommy alone."

"Hey wasn't it this same club?" Aiesha asked.

"You know, I think it was," Trini said.

"I can't believe we're back here," Jason said, "If I had realized, I never would've come."

Despite the guys' protests, Kira asked, "So what happened?"

"We were all hanging out at the gym," Kim said, "Just relaxing. And we need something to do…"

_Flashback_

_A group of nine was sitting around two tables in the dark youth center. They were having one last celebration for three of their friends that were accepted in the Peace Conference. Two of them, a young man dressed in a white wife-beater, black track pants with a white line running down its sides; and a young man that was dressed in the same, except the colors were red, were in the corner on the mats sparring._

"_Man, you're getting slow, now that you're leaving," the young man in white chuckled._

"_You wish," the one in red said, "I think all that time with Kimberly has made you a little soft."_

"_I wonder how Kim will feel when I tell her that?" he asked, his thoughts drifting to his petite, spitfire of a girlfriend._

"_You better not tell her Tommy," the guy in red said, "I want to leave here in one piece."_

"_Why Jason," Tommy smirked, "Don't tell me you're afraid of Kim?"_

"_Of course I'm afraid of her," Jason said as he dodged as kick, and came back with one of his own, "You know how Kim gets when she's pissed off."_

"_Yea," Tommy said, "She lives up to her zord, the firebird." With a sweep of his feet, he had Jason on the floor._

"_Exactly," Jason panted, from his place on the mat, "And I would rather face Rita powerless, than a pissed off Kimberly." Tommy laughed as he offered his hand to help him up. The two grabbed their towels and headed over to the group. Tommy pulled up a chair next to Kimberly, as Jason sat in the chair next to Trini._

"_Eww, you guys are so sweaty," Kim teased, "Why did you insist on sparring?"_

"_Had to make sure Jase is going soft," Tommy said then leaned over to kiss her on her cheek._

"_Is that all you have for your girlfriend?" Kim feigned anger, "A little peck on the cheek?" the others laughed and started cheering when Tommy leaned in and gave her a very passionate kiss. Tommy usually wasn't very public with his affections for Kimberly, but for some reason, he decided to throw caution to the wind tonight._

"_Is that better?" he asked when he pulled away, a little breathless._

"_What?" she asked a little dazed, "Yea that's better. Wow that was some kiss."_

"_Yea," Jason injected, "One that I did not need to see."_

"_Oh shut up," Kim laughed as she threw a fry at him._

"_So what do we do now?" Rocky asked._

"_I have an idea," Kim said._

"_Oh no," Jason groaned, "Why is it every time I hear you say that, it makes me want to run in the opposite direction?" the others laughed and Kim ignored him._

"_What's your idea Kim?" Aiesha asked._

"_Well, this new club just opened in town," she said, "And I think we should check it out." The silence that followed was deafening. They all looked at each other; each silently wondering what had possessed their pink clad friend to make such a suggestion._

"_Are you serious?" Tommy asked his girlfriend._

"_Yes," Kim said, and then looked around at everyone else, "Come on guys, Jase, Tri and Zack are leaving soon, and I think that we should do something memorable."_

"_And going to a club is?" Jason asked._

"_Guys, we're power rangers. We save the world on a daily basis," she said very seriously, "Don't you think we deserve something for it?"_

"_Well I think we do," Zack said. The others looked at him shocked, but the smile on Kim's face made it worth it, "Look guys, she's right. We save the world, and we don't get anything for it; no recognition, no nothing. Now I'm not saying that we all went into this for the glory, we did it because it was the right thing to do and because we wanted to do it. But face it, we're still human and we're still teenagers that need to live."_

"_And Zordon did say that we should still have a life outside of being a ranger," Kim added, "So what do you guys think?"_

"_I'm in," Rocky said._

"_I think you're nuts and this idea is a bad one," Jason sighed, "But your my little sister and someone has to watch out for you. So…I'm in."_

"_Yay," Kim squealed. She turned to the others, "What about the rest of you?" _

"_You're my girlfriend, and I'll be damned if I let you go to a club where there will no doubt be drunk guys," Tommy said, "And someone has to help Jason and keep Zack out of trouble, so I'm in too." When he said that, Kim leaned over and kissed him, "Thanks Handsome."_

"_No problem," he replied._

"_Well I'm in," Trini said._

"_If you and Kim are going," Aiesha said, "Then so am I."_

"_Adam? Billy? What about you two?" Kim asked._

"_Uhm, well, see the thing is Kimberly," Adam said, "I don't think I'm going to go."_

"_Yeah, me either," Billy said._

"_And why not?" Kim asked as she folded her arms. _

_Billy and Adam looked at each other, "Well…uhm…I…uh…I have something to do and I need Adam's help with it," Billy said._

"_What do you need to do that can't wait?" Trini asked, "And why do you need Adam?"_

"_You wouldn't be lying to me, would you Billy?" Kim asked._

"_Kimberly, why would you think that?" he asked, his heart pounding._

"_Because you're a terrible liar, and I know that there's nothing that you have to do, that can't wait until tomorrow," she said, "Look Billy, you're going; you both are. And if I hear one word of protest from either of you, I swear I will make everything Rita has done, look like a walk in the park, do you understand me?"_

_Adam and Billy blanched when she said that. They took one look into her eyes and knew she was serious._

"_You guys might as well give up," Zack smiled, "You know she's going to make you go."_

"_Fine," Billy sighed, "We're going."_

_Jason leaned over towards Tommy and whispered, "Told you bro, firebird through and through." Tommy laughed, but covered it with a cough when Kimberly looked his way. _

"_So we're in agreement?" Kim asked as she looked around the group. She let her gaze stop on Billy and Adam and gave them a hard stare, "We're all going." The two gulped and nodded; fearful of what she would do if they refused. They hurried home to het dressed, and met back up at the gym. The guys were all there, they were just waiting on the girls. Tommy was dressed in a white t-shirt that hugged his upper body, with a long-sleeve white checkered shirt over it and blue jeans with boots; Jason was wearing a red dress shirt, blue jeans and boots, Rocky was wearing a red long sleeve sweater, jean shorts and black shoes; Adam was wearing the same thing as Rocky, only his colors were black; Zack was wearing long black jeans, with a long black and white shirt; and Billy was wearing a blue t-shirt with long blue jeans. They all stood outside waiting for Kim, Trini and Aisha. They checked their watches periodically, wondering if the girls had stood them up. _

"_Man, those girls are taking forever," Rocky said, "I want to go now."_

"_Hold your horses Rocko," Jason said, "You know girls are; always taking forever to get ready."_

"_Especially Kimberly," Tommy said. He then glanced around to make sure that she wasn't around to hear him._

"_Looking for Kim?" Rocky asked._

"_Yes," Tommy said, "The last thing I want is for her to be mad at me." The guys laughed as they heard him say that._

"_She is a spitfire, isn't she?" Adam said._

"_Is she ever," Jason said, "But you should know, you got a glimpse of it tonight."_

_Adam blushed, "Whatever man, but that girl is scary when she's mad."_

"_Yes, she is," Billy agreed, "I think Rocky knows that better than us right now." At that, they all laughed again as they remembered what Kim had did to Rocky when he had pulled a prank on her a few days ago, despite the warning from the others._

"_Shut up," Rocky said, "I never thought she would be that bad, or that mad."_

"_We tried to warn," Zack said, "Whose fault is it that you didn't listen?"_

"_Yea I know," he said, "And now, I can barely remember the day." They laughed again. _

"_What's so funny?" a voice behind them asked. They turned around and their mouths dropped open. _

"_I think they like it," Kim giggled._

"_I think you're right," Trini said and Aiesha nodded. _

"_You girls look incredible," Rocky said. Kim was wearing a pink strapless top, a white jacket over it, a blue jean skirt that fell mid-thigh and two inch wedges. Her shoulder length caramel-colored hair was done in layers. Trini was wearing long blue jeans, with yellow Nike sneakers, and a yellow halter top, with a jean jacket over it. Her hair was held back by hair clips and in curls (_like Jennifer Lopez when she did 'Dreaming of You' in Selena)_; and Aiesha was a yellow v-cut sleeveless top, blue jeans with a yellow floral pattern that fell just below her knees, and yellow flip-flops. _

"_No, you are going home to change missy," Tommy said, "I do not need guys ogling my girlfriend."_

"_Same goes for you too Trini," Jason said, not realizing how his statement sounded. _

_Kim raised her eyebrow at him, "Why Jason, I did not know that Trini was your girlfriend." She turned to Trini, "How could you not tell me this?"_

_She sighed, "I don't know Kim, I guess I've just been so busy that I forgot to tell you." Jason by now was sporting a faint blush on his cheeks. He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Zack, "As much fun as it is to tease Jase about him and Trini," both blushed, "We should get going."_

"_He's right," Aiesha said._

"_Well then, let's go," Kim said as she took Tommy's arm. The nine of them walked off towards the cars. They had decided to use two cars, Tommy's jeep that he had just gotten, and Jason's car. Kim, Aiesha, Rocky, and Billy went with Tommy; while Zack, Adam and Trini went with Jason. They drove off and after about ten minutes of driving, they got to the club. Realizing that it was only a few blocks from the park, they decided to park their cars in the parking lot and walked to the club. When they got there, they managed to convince the bouncer to let them in, as it was, thanks to the make-up the girls had on, they did look a bit older than they were. The guy agreed to let them in on one condition, Kim couldn't drink. Despite her makeup, he thought she still looked a little young. Not wanting to be kicked out, Kim reluctantly agreed and they headed inside. Once inside, the group found two tables and pushed them together against the back wall of the club._

"_Oh wow," Kim said as she looked around, "This place is amazing."_

"_Yea it is," Adam reluctantly agreed._

_Kim heard him and giggled as she answered, "Now aren't you glad you decided to come?"_

"_Decided to?" He sputtered, "You practically—_

_He stopped talking as Kim gave him a hard look, "Yea, you're right. I am glad I decided to come." They all laughed at that. They just talked and danced, not really paying attention to anyone else._

"_I still can't believe we're actually in here," Aiesha said._

"_I know," Jason said, "So…what do you guys want to drink?"_

"_OH no, I'm not drinking," Trini said._

"_Well, I can't," Kim answered._

"_And I'm not either," Aiesha added._

"_OK, so the girls aren't drinking," Jason said, "What about you boys?" the guys all looked at each other._

"_Come on guys," Zack said, "This is practically a once in a lifetime thing. I mean, how many sixteen year olds can say they got into a club and were drinking? We should do it."_

"_I'm in," Tommy said._

"_Me too," Rocky added._

"_You know I'm doing it," Zack said as he practically danced in his seat._

"_What about you two?" Jason asked. Billy and Adam looked at each other before nodding, "Alright cool. So what are we drinking?"_

_Kim traded glances between Trini and Aiesha, "How about Heineken?"_

"_What? That type of drink is for wimps," Zack scoffed._

"_He's right," Jason said._

"_I say we try tequila," Rocky added, "Since we're guys and all." Kim shared a secret smile with the two girls. That was just what she wanted. She knew the guys would object if she suggested a timid drink, knowing that they would want to prove themselves._

"_Are you guys sure?" She asked. They all nodded their heads. She got up and headed to the bar. When she got there, she noticed the bartender was checking her out and decided to use it to her advantage, __**sorry handsome.**_

"_Hey cutie," she smiled flirtatiously._

"_What can I do for you?" the bartender asked, looking at her appreciatively._

"_Well I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving me a few drinks," she said as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "Some friends of mine are going away and I want this to be a night they'll remember."_

"_I don't know," he said, "You look a little underage, and I'm not sure I want to."_

_She giggled, and he blinked, "It's not for me silly," she leaned over, knowing that he could see down her shirt a little. She then pitched her voice low, "Do you see that table by the back wall?"_

_He looked to where she was directing and saw it, "You mean the one with the two girls and the six guys?"_

"_Yep that's the one," she smiled, "The thing is the guys dared us that they can drink any drink, well because they're men. So we suggested some Heineken's but they wanted tequila. I don't want a full bottle, just maybe a couple shot glasses." She said, silently thanking her father for his appreciation of liquor._

"_I don't know," he said. He was waging a silent battle with himself. She was very attractive and was obviously flirting with him. Kim looked at him and saw that he was close to giving in, so she reached over and traced his jaw with her finger, "Please. I promise I won't tell."_

"_Ok, but you cannot let anyone know I did this," he relented._

"_Yay, and I won't," she said. He put six shot glasses, filled with tequila, on a tray and handed them to her. She reached into her purse to pay for them, but he stopped her, "It's on the house."_

"_Thank you," she smiled and then turned to walk off. She got back to the table and placed the tray in front of the guys, "Here you go boys." _

_The guys looked up at her in shock. They hadn't thought she'd be able to get the drinks because of how young she looked, "How did you manage to get them?"_

"_I have my ways," She said, "Now drink up." Tommy looked at her with suspicion. He didn't like the way that sounded, before he could say anything however, the others had already reached for their drinks._

"_Well, bottoms up," Rocky said as he downed the drink. The others followed suit, but then grimaced as the drink made a little burning sensation._

"_Wow," Adam said, "That was some drink."_

"_I know," Billy said. He was unused to drinking any sort of alcoholic drink._

"_We should try it again," Zack suggested. This time Aiesha made her way to the bar and less than five minutes late, she came back with another tray. She placed a shot glass in front of each guys and said, "Drink up."_

_The guys took the drinks and downed them. Within minutes, it was clear to the girls that they guys were drunk. They were only used to drinking Heineken or Sam Adams, not tequila. So it was quite funny to watch the six of them act like fools. When they started talking about Zordon, the girls exchanged alarmed looks and decided to leave the club._

"_Ok guys," Kim said, "It's time to go." She stood up and grabbed Tommy's arm to pull him up. Trini grabbed Jason and Billy and Aiesha grabbed Rocky and Adam. Zack stumbled up and Kim grabbed his arm and placed herself between him and Tommy. The girls led the guys out of the club and started walking towards the park. The guys then decided to start singing. Before Kim and the others could react, Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Billy, Adam and Zack had started singing Diana Ross' 'I'm Coming Out'. Kim, Aiesha and Trini stopped walking and just looked at the six guys as they sang and danced to the song. They looked at each other and started laughing, clutching their stomachs when it became too much. They watched as Rocky and Jason tried to do a spin and ended up spinning into Tommy and Billy. Kim bent over and held her knees as she laughed, "Oh my God, I can't believe this."_

"_I didn't even think they knew this song," Aiesha said._

"_I wish I had a camera," Trini said before she collapsed in laughter as Billy tried to go up in a high pitch._

"_Rocky what the hell are you doing?" Jason asked as he watched Rocky stripped._

"_Man I'm going for a swim," Rocky said as he stumbled to get his clothes off._

"_Why?" Adam asked._

"_Because it is such a nice night," He answered as he pulled his pants down, "And I want to be free as a bird." And with that, he jumped into the lake in his boxers only. The other guys looked at each other, before stripping down to their boxers and jumping in._

"_Should we let them do that?" Kim asked._

"_I don't know," Trini said, "But who know, the cold water might make them sober."_

"_Oh my God," Aiesha said, "Look." The two girls turned their attention back to the boys and watched as they all started dancing, they laughed when they heard Tommy say, "I am a swan queen, and you are my princesses. Now let us dance the swan dance." Kim couldn't take it; she fell into the ground as she let out a peal of hysterics. Trini and Aiesha held on to each other as they dissolved into laughter. _

"_On second thought," Trini said between laughs, "I don't think it did." The girls continued laughing as the guys danced. Aiesha opened her mouth to say something, but a sound at her right caught her attention. When she looked, she saw two officers heading their way, "Oh no, guys look."_

_Trini and Kim, who was now standing up, looked to where she was pointing. They saw the cops and panicked, "What do we do?" kim looked at the guys, then to their clothes then to the cops, before bringing her gaze back to the two of them, "I have another idea."_

"_You know," Trini said, "I'm starting to see why Jase wants to run in the opposite direction every time he hears you say that."_

"_Do you want to know or not?" she asked exasperated._

"_Fine," she said. Kim leaned in and whispered what she had in mind. When she was done, Aiesha turned towards her, "Are you sure this will work?"_

"_Positive," she said, "Now get going." The girls nodded and grabbed the guys clothes, except Tommy's, and ran to the water. They got the boys out, despite their protests and pulled them towards the parking lot. Tommy got out after them, puzzled as to what was going on. He stumbled up to Kim, who was holding his clothes, "What's going on?"_

"_No time for explanations," she said as she tossed him his pants, "Put these on and hurry." Still confused, he did as he was told. He pulled on his socks and boots and Kim helped him into his t-shirt. She looked behind her and realized that the cops were close. She dropped his over shirt and pulled his head down to hers. Tommy barely had time to get out a word before Kim crushed her lips to his. Even in his drunk state, his arms automatically went around her waist. Kim moaned in his mouth as his tongued traced her lower lip. She parted her lips on a sigh and moaned again when his tongue invaded her mouth. He knew he was drunk, but that didn't stop him from responding to his girlfriend. He ran his hands down her back, before coming to rest on her ass. Kim moaned appreciatively, Tommy had never done that before, and she knew it was because he was drunk. So caught up in the kiss, she completely forgot about the cops until she heard the voice behind her, "Excuse me?"_

_She reluctantly pulled her lips away from Tommy. She looked in his eyes and saw that he was slightly dazed. She shifted and turned her attention to the cops, "Yes? Can I help you?"_

"_Would you mind telling us what you are doing here at this hour?" one of the cops asked._

"_Well, we just came from the movies with our friends," She answered, "And we decided to take a walk before we met up with them in the parking lot." _

"_And I'm so supposed to believe that?" the other one asked._

"_Well then officer," she said, "If you don't believe me, then what do you think we were doing?" _

_The officer opened his mouth, but was cut off by a voice from behind, "Kim, Tommy there you two are." _

_They all turned and saw Trini and Aiesha running towards them. Kim smiled, "Hey guys, what's up?"_

"_What's up?" Trini said, "The movie ended and we're all waiting for two."_

"_So if you would stop making out with your boyfriend," Aiesha said, "Can we go meet up with the rest of the guys?"_

"_Sure," she turned to the cops, "Are we done here? Or do you need something else to prove that I was telling the truth?" _

"_No that's ok," the first officer said, "You can go. Sorry to bother you."_

"_No problem," Kim said. She grabbed Tommy's shirt from the ground and held his hands and walked off with Trini and Aiesha. When they were out of sight and earshot, they started laughing._

"_I can't believe it actually worked," Aiesha said._

"_Yeah, I take back what I said about you and your ideas," Trini smiled. _

"_That'll teach you," Kim giggled, "Come on, let's take these guys home."_

_End Flashback_

The others were all laughing at the look on the guys faces.

"The swan queen?" Connor asked as he held onto the table, he was laughing so hard, "I can't believe it."

"Oh man," Tanya said, "You guys should've had a camera."

"I know," Kim smiled, "You don't know how bummed Tri, Sha and I were when we realized we had no way of filming it."

"Can we stop talking about this now?" Zack said.

"Oh man," Angela said, "I am going to remember this forever."

"What I wouldn't have give to see you guys do the swan dance," Ethan laughed.

"But wait," Hayley said, "That doesn't explain how you knew that Tommy drank Jose Cuervos."

"Well after that," Kim said, "the guys swore off tequila until they were old enough to handle. But the night before Jase and the others left, we were at gym once more and talking and laughing about it. I had raided my dad's liquor cabinet and got some drinks. I got Smirnoff and Heineken and had brought a long a Jose Cuervo. I gave it to Tommy and told him to taste it."

"The guys were a little skeptical about taking a drink from Kimberly," Trini said.

"Did you blame us?" Rocky injected, "After what happened…"

"Anyway, Tommy took a sip and found that he liked that taste better," Kim continued, "And the rest as they say is history."

"SO you guys got drunk again?" Trent asked.

"No, we didn't want a repeat," Jason said, "So we didn't finish the drinks. We ended up dumping the bottles, but Tommy drank all of his because it was from Kimberly." The others laughed at the look on his face.

"You know that wasn't even the worst part," Adam said.

"It wasn't?" Krista asked, "What was worst than that?"

"Zordon found out," Kim said.

"WHAT?!" the DT gang asked.

"Are you serious?" Kat asked with a frown. She couldn't believe that Kim had gotten them to do something like that.

Tommy turned to Kira, "Do you remember when you told Trent that newbies had to clean the zords and I was laughing harder than anyone?"

"Yeah," she said.

"The reason was because we had to do the same thing," Tommy said.

"What? Really?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, Zordon had us clean all the zords," Jason said, "Thank God he never had us call on the thunderzords as well."

"Yeah," Rocky said. He turned to Kim, "We never thanked you for that, did we." Kim smiled and shook her head no.

"I think we were all to busy with the zords to remember that," Adam said.

"True, but anyway," Zack said, "Thanks to our baby sister for getting us to clean the zords."

"I don't get it," Kat said, "I mean she got you guys into trouble, why did you have to thank her for that? If anything, you should've been mad, I know would've been."

"Kat you don't even—

"I mean come on Kim," Kat cut her off, "First you put yourself in trouble in Paris, and now you're saying that you got everyone in trouble and almost caused them to lose their powers. Sometimes you're so damn irresponsible and you live up to that whole ditzy, valley girl routine." Everyone gasped at what Kat said.

Kim had enough of Kat's attitude. She stood up and said in a quivering voice, "You know what? I'm going to go outside for some fresh air, it just got stifling in here." And with that she made her through the crowd and headed outside. The others could see the tears in her eyes and heard it when she spoke. They all turned back to Kat.

"Jeez Kat," Tanya said, "What the hell's your problem?" Kat looked over at Tanya in shock. She never thought her best friend would be mad at her.

"What?" Kat asked as she looked around at the table, "She got you guys in trouble and you're thanking her for it."

"You don't know the whole story Kat," Trini said as she stood up, "You should've asked before you opened you damn mouth. I'm going after Kimberly." Aiesha didn't even say anything. She just threw a glare in Kat's direction and followed Trini.

Kira and Connor stood up as well. Kira grabbed her jacket and said to Kat, "You know, you didn't have to be such a bitch."

"I hope you're happy," Connor said before he and Kira followed the other two.

"Kat seriously," Tanya said, "What is your problem with Kimberly?"

"I…I…I don't have a problem with her," Kat said.

"Well you could've fooled me," Tanya snapped, "You've been acting weird ever since Kim got here. I mean, you even snapped at her earlier and you completely ignored her when she was getting the drinks. You're my best friend Kat, but right now, you're acting like a stranger."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I guess I was just angry because I thought that they could've lost their powers because of her."

"Are you kidding me?" Rocky asked, "We wouldn't have lost our powers, and if we had, it wouldn't have been Kim's fault. Sure it was her idea to go to the club, but she didn't make us drink; if anything she took our mind off of being overwhelmed at being rangers, and from being too upset about the others leaving." With that he stood up and grabbed his jacket from the table. He threw some money on the table and walked off, shaking his head all the while.

"Well, I'm not staying here," Ethan said as he and the others got up, leaving Tanya, Tommy, Adam, Billy, Hayley, Jason, Zack and Angela.

"I'm going to go check on Kim," Angela said. She turned to Kat, "That really was uncalled for. You didn't even let them finish the story. And you acted like a total bitch."

"You'd think you'd learn after what happened with me," Hayley said, "Hey Angela, wait up." Angela stopped to let her catch up and the two made their way outside.

"She's right Kat," Jason said, "I can't believe you. First, when she asked for your drink, you were practically ignoring her, and then when she asked for Tommy, you all but showed her your claws."

"What?" Tommy asked. He turned to Kat, "What happened?"

"Kim had come back after you left and when she asked for you, Kat told her that you weren't her boyfriend so she didn't have to know," Adam said. He got up, as did Jason, Zack and Billy. As they were leaving, Jason said, "And the reason we were thanking Kim, is because Zordon had wanted just us guys to clean not only the zords, but the Command Center as well. She had convinced him to let the three of them help and also to let us clean the zords only. Sure she got us in trouble, but she also helped us out." The trio walked off, leaving Tanya and Tommy with Kat.

"I don't get it Kat," Tommy said, "Kim has been nothing but nice to since she got here, and from what the others just said, you've been mean to her; almost angry. Why?"

"Tommy…" she trailed off as he stood up as well, "You're leaving?"

"Yes," he said, "I have to, otherwise I'm probably going to get really angry, and I don't think you want that. Kim's my friend Kat, she's a friend to all of us, and right now, you hurt not only her, but everyone else as well." He sighed, "I'll see you outside."

"See what you just did Kat?" Tanya asked as they watched him go, "You just got your boyfriend mad at you as well as all our friends. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Tanya, I don't get you," Kat said, "You're supposed to be my best friend."

"I am," Tanya said.

"SO why are you sticking up for Kim?" she asked angrily, "Why is everyone sticking up for Kimberly?"

"Damn it Kat," Tanya said, "DO you hear yourself? No one is sticking up for Kim. You're the one that's being mean to her, for no reason at all."

"Tanya—

"No Kat," She cut her off, "Seriously, what is your problem? I've been watching you since Kim got here; and you've been rude, distant and I hate to say it, but you've been acting really bitchy; especially when it comes to Tommy."

"Tanya," Kat said shocked, "I never thought you'd be so mad at me."

"Well what do you expect Kat?" she said, "Tommy's right. Kim has been nothing but nice and all you've been is mean. You cling to Tommy, almost as if you're trying to shove your relationship in her face. Something's going on Kat; and it has to do with why you're acting that way towards Kimberly. And I'm going to find out what it is."

"But—

"I'm leaving," she cut her off, "If you want a ride home, then I suggest you be out there in five minutes, or I'm sure no one will have a problem leaving you here." And with that, she turned and walked out, leaving a fuming Kat behind.

'_**You have got to be kidding me! What the hell just happened? It's always about Kimberly. I'm sick and tired of this. I'm not sorry for going off on her, but Tanya's now getting suspicious of the way I'm acting. I have to really tone down my attitude otherwise everyone will start to notice. I already have Trini, Aiesha and Connor against me, and it seems like Kira's there as well. I can't lose my friends.' **_She sighed, _**'So that means I have to suck up and be nice to Kim.' **_"Ugh, why me?" Kat sighed and stood up. She gathered her stuff and headed outside.

…

"Hey girl," Tanya said as she came out. She saw Kim standing between Aiesha and Trini with the others around them.

"Hey T," she answered.

"How are you holding up?" she asked as she got in front of her.

"I could be better," Kim gave her a small watery smile, "Thanks for whatever you said."

"How'd you know I said something to her?" Tanya asked. Kim raised her eyebrow and she let out a low chuckle, "Alright I did, and you're welcome, but you don't have to thank me." Kim opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted,

"Hey Kim?" Kat said tentatively. The others turned to look at her, "Look I'm sorry ok." Kim just looked at her. After a minute, she turned to others, completely ignoring Kat, "Can we go home? I'm really tired and I'm not in the mood for anything else."

"Sure Kim," Trini said, "Connor can you drive us? We each had something to drink and I really don't want anyone driving, even if we are just a little buzzed."

"Why don't we all take cabs then?" Ethan suggested.

"NO!" Kim and Connor said, "Absolutely no cabs."

"What's up with you guys?" Jason said, "Why are you against us getting cabs?"

"We can talk tomorrow," Kim said, "Right now, I really want to get home." She turned to Connor and held out her keys, "Will you please drive?"

"Sure no problem," he said as he took the keys from Kim. Kira and Aiesha got into the back seat, and Trini helped Kim into the front seat before joining the others in the back.

"Why don't each of the teens drive?" Angela said, "That way, Kim's mind is at peace."

"Sure," Adam said, "That sounds good. So how about Ethan drive my car with me, Tanya, Angela and Rocky; Trent can drive Connor's car with Krista, Jason, Billy and Zack, and Caitlin can drive Tommy's with the rest of you."

"What about my car?" Jason asked.

"We can come back and get it tomorrow," Trini said from her side, "Let's just get home, Kim's already falling asleep."

"Ok," he said. And with that, every one got into their respective vehicle and drove off. All the cars were silent, with just the radio going. They arrived back at the house within a half hour. Still a little angry at Kat, the others jumped from Tommy's jeep almost as soon as it stopped. Kat stayed a few seconds and watched as everyone walked up to the house. She saw Tommy go over and lift Kimberly very gently from the car. She couldn't even muster up the strength to be angry. She silently got out of the car and made her over to them. Trini was leaning on Jason who had his arms wrapped around her. She threw a quick glance Kat's way, before leaning further into Jason's embrace. Aiesha looked up from her spot in Rocky's arms before turning her focus on Kim. Connor opened the door and everyone silently made their way inside.

"How about we all just go to bed and figure out things to do in the morning?" Aiesha said.

"Sounds like a plan," Adam said. Everybody nodded their agreements and made their way to their rooms.

"I'm going to take Kim to hers," Tommy said. He walked off before anyone could say anything. Not even sparing a glance at his girlfriend.

"He's always her white knight, isn't he?" Zack said.

"Yeah," Jason nodded, "Let's go to bed guys."

"Can I stay with you?" Kira whispered to Connor, "I just want you to hold me."

"Sure," he nodded, "I have no problem with that." The two made their way upstairs, with the others behind them. Kira went to her room and grabbed her pajamas before going back to Connor's room. Caitlin saw her and stopped her with a question "Staying with Connor?"

"Yeah," Kira said with a faint blush, "With the way that Kat acted towards Kimberly, I just want to be with Connor, you know?"

"I understand," She said. She hesitated as she thought about something. Kira noticed it and asked, "What is it?"

"Do you think that Ethan would mind if I joined him?"

"I think he'd like that," Kira smiled, "Besides, I don't think that we are the only ones that will need the comfort of our boyfriends."

"True," Cait said, "Think Krista will stay with Trent?"

"If she sees Ethan going to our room, she'll probably ask and then Trent will probably want to keep her company," Kira said.

"Alright," Cait said, "See you in the morning."

"Bye," Kira waved as she opened Connor's door.

"Hey," he said when he saw her.

"Hey," she answered back.

"Come on," he said as he patted the room next to him, "Let's get some sleep."

"Ok," she said as she crawled in next to him. She settled her head on his chest and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, "Do you think Dr O's going to come up to his room?"

"I don't think so," he said, "I mean he looked pissed when he came outside."

"I know," Kira said as she snuggled closer to him, "I think he's starting to regret being with Kat. I mean he's still in love with Kim. You know? I don't think he's going to leave Kim alone tonight."

"You noticed that too?" he asked as he looked down at her, and saw her nod, "I think that Kat's going to pissed when she's in their room waiting for him and realize that he's not coming up."

"I know," Kira said, "But I don't think that Dr O even cares right now."

"Let's not talk about it anymore," Connor said, "Because if I do, then I'm just going to get even angrier at Kat. Let's get some sleep, ok?"

"OK," she said before she leaned up and kissed him, "I love you Connor."

"I love you too," he said as he returned her kiss. They closed their eyes and settled on the bed, within a matter of minutes, they were both asleep.

…

"Hey," Trent said as the door to his and Ethan's room opened and Krista walked in, "What's up?

"Well, Kira's with Connor and Cait's with Ethan," she said, "I told Hayley I was heading down here because I wanted to be with you. Do you mind?"

"No not all," he said, as he made room for her on his bed, "Why's Kira with Connor?"

"According to Cait, she was feeling very frustrated and frazzled out over the Kat acted towards Kimberly and needed Connor's comfort," Krista said with a smile, "And She needed the same thing from Ethan."

"So you decided to come find me?" he smiled.

"Yeah," she sighed, "It's just that, everyone is really tensed and worn out and I just needed to feel safe and loved."

"It's ok," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, "I like the fact that my girlfriend came to me for comfort."

"Your girlfriend?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "None at all."

"Good," he said as he kissed her, their first kiss as a couple.

"Wow," she said as she pulled away, "What was that for?"

"Just thought it was the perfect way to seal the deal," he smiled. She laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist, "Let's get some sleep Krista."

"Ok," she nodded. She sighed as he pressed a kiss to her head and closed her eyes as sleep claimed her. He turned the light off and pulled the covers over the two of them before succumbing to sleep as well.

…

Tommy opened the door to Kim's bedroom and walked in. as he set her on the bed, he felt her stir, "Tommy?"

"Yeah Kim?"

"What's going on?" she asked puzzled, "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled, "I'm putting you to bed; you fell asleep on the drive home."

"OK," she said. Still half asleep, she started stripping out of clothes to put her pajamas on. He turned his head before she caught him staring. He stripped down to his boxers and moved the covers back.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"You're not staying alone tonight Kim," he sighed, "You need a friend and I'm still too mad for the way Kat treated to go to my room tonight."

"OK," she said as they settled onto under the covers. She yawned and buried her head further into her pillow. Tommy laid there thinking about the entire when he heard her voice.

"Tommy?" she asked, tears obvious in her voice, "I'm sorry for getting you guys into trouble and I'm sorry for not calling you before and for what happened in Paris…" she trailed off as she let out a sob.

In an instant he had her in his arms, "Kim, don't cry, please."

"But she's right," she cried, "You guys could've lost your powers, and I could've been hurt."

"She's not right at all Kim," he said as he ran his hand through her hair trying to calm her down, "She was wrong. You can take care of yourself and we would not have lost our powers. We were there as well that night Kim. We chose to drink, so don't let Kat get you down, ok beautiful?"

"OK," she nodded.

"Good," he smiled, "Now let's get some sleep." And with that, the two of them dozed off. All over the house, all was quiet. Everyone had settled in for a good night's sleep. Every occupant in each room was sleeping, except for one. A pretty, blonde Australian was sitting up wondering where her boyfriend was. She was also going over the night in her head, wondering if everything was over for her. She remembered how Tommy took Kim to her room and let images of the two of them making love torture her. After waiting up for a half hour, she closed her eyes to the tears and accepted that he was probably still with Kimberly and that he wasn't coming to bed. She also knew that after what she did tonight, everything was probably going to come crashing on her head. She reopened her eyes, _**'Tanya's already starting to get suspicious of me. Ugh, what am I going to do?'**_ she turned on her side and looked at the photo of her and Tommy, _**'I love you so much. Everything I did was for you, for us. I don't know if I can lose you.' **_She placed a kiss on the photo and fell back against the pillow. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before closing her eyes. Her last thought before sleep claimed her, was if she would have enough strength to deal with the others in the morning.

…

The next morning, the others woke up and the mood in the house was a little somber. Trini walked into the kitchen with Jason behind her. She put a pot of coffee on the burner and placed a pot of water on the stove to hot some tea for Kim, Kira and Angela. She started getting some stuff together for breakfast. Five minutes later, everyone else minus Kim, Tommy and Kat, made their way into the kitchen.

"Hey," Aiesha said, "How are you guys?"

"Tired, and worried," Trini said.

"About Kim?" Kira asked.

"Yeah," she said, "What Kat said was beyond mean."

"I know," Kira said as she leaned into Connor. Hayley looked over at her, then to Krista and Trent and finally Ethan and Caitlin.

"Did something happen between all of you last night?" she asked, "I know that Krista didn't stay with me last night and I can only assume that she stayed with Trent, but what about the rest of you?"

"I stayed with Connor," Kira said, too tired and worried to care, "And Cait stayed with Ethan. We just wanted to be with our guys last night. Nothing happened."

"Good," Trini said, "Otherwise, Kim would probably kill you for having sex on her beds." The others laughed as they saw the blush that rose on the teens cheeks. There laughter was cut short by the arrival of Kat into the kitchen. She sighed as she moved forward, "Well don't stop laughing on my account."

Trini rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the stove.

"What are you making?" Kat asked. Trini ignored her and continued flipping the pancakes while Aiesha tackled the egg. "Fine, don't answer me."

"Do you really expect any different Kat?" Rocky said, "Especially after last night."

"I apologized and she ignored me," Kat cried.

"Kat," Tanya asked, changing the subject, "Where's Tommy?"

"How would I know?" she said to her and Hayley's surprise.

"He never came to the room?" Tanya said.

"No," she said. She looked around and saw that no one else was really surprised by it, "And it looks like no one expected him to."

"Well really Kat," Trini said, "Can you honestly tell me that that surprises you?"

"No, but I thought that you guys would be at least a considerate," she said.

"You mean like you were last night?" Kira said, "Like you've been ever since Kim came home?" Tanya looked from Kat to Kira to Trini to Aiesha to Connor and then back to Kat. Again she got the feeling that there was something going on that the rest of them knew nothing about. And she realized that whatever it was, had to do with Kim and Tommy. And she was determined to find out what it was, "Alright, what the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean Tanya?" Adam asked.

"I'm talking about the fact that ever since this reunion started, Connor has been rude to Kat," she said, "And Trini and Aiesha have been acting weird towards her and now Kira as well. And do you know what all these have in common; Kimberly. Something's going on and I want to know what it is."

"Well, it looks like everything's heading south," Trini shared a smile with Aiesha.

"Why are you so insistent on this?" Kat asked, "Everything's going ok."

"And why are you so insistent on getting me to let this go?" Tanya asked. Before she could open her mouth, a very excited squeal came from the living room. They rushed out of the kitchen, while Kat took her time. When they got there, they stood there in shock. They saw Kim circling a very beautiful black piano in good condition. Tommy was standing there watching her with a smile on his face. But that wasn't what made them stop; it was the fact that Tommy was only wearing a pair of black and white pajama bottoms and Kim was wearing the top with a pair of shorts. Everyone was broken out of their shock by Trent's question;

"Whoa," He said, "Where did that come from?"

"My uncle Carson dropped it off last night when we were out," Kim said as she ran her hands over it.

"The same Uncle Carlson that did your car?" Rocky asked.

"Yep," she said, "He said that he remembered it. It used to belong to my mom when she was a teenager. She used to play it all the time when I was kid. So did I, but when I got my first guitar I lost my passion for it."

"How did you know?" Ethan asked.

"He left a note with it," she said, "And he dropped the spare key off as well." She raised the lid off the keys and sat down on the bench. She let her hands flow over the keys before settling into a melody.

"Are you going to play us something?" Zack asked eagerly. The rest of them were excited as well.

"Sure why not," she smiled. When she said that, everyone found a place around the room and sat down. She thought about what song she wanted to play and when she figured it out, she smiled. She started playing a tune and Connor picked up on it. He got up from behind Kira and sat down on the bench with her; much to the other's surprise.

"I wrote this about a year and a half ago," she said. She wondered if she should tell the truth and decided to, "I actually wrote with someone in mind. I was thinking about what we went through when we first met." Tommy blushed as everyone else cheered.

"Alright Tommy," Rocky said. Kat frowned.

"And Connor helped me," she said, "And he was thinking about that someone special as well." This time, it was calls of 'Go Kira' that echoed through the room. Kim and Connor laughed. She played the intro before she started singing;

_(__**Kim**__)_

_We were strangers  
Starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming  
What we'd have to go through  
Now here we are  
And I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you_

_(__**Connor**)_

_No one told me  
I was going to find you  
Unexpected  
What you did to my heart  
When I lost hope  
You were there to remind me  
This is the start_

_(**Chorus**__—__**both**__)_

_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

Kira looked on at the two of them with a frown. Something about the way they sounded was very familiar. Noticing the look on her face, Krista asked, "Kira, are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she said, "It's just that…"

"Just that what?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, there's something very familiar about the way they sound," she said, "I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like I've heard them somewhere before." The two looked at each other and then back at her, "Well maybe it will come back to you," Krista said. Kira nodded and turned her attention back to the duo.

_We were strangers (__**Kim**__)  
On a crazy adventure  
Never dreaming (__**Connor**__)  
How our dreams would come true  
Now here we stand (__**both**__)  
Unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you_

_**Chorus—both**__)_

_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

(_**bridge--both**)_

_I knew there was somebody somewhere  
Like me alone in the dark  
Now I know my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

(_**chorus—both**)_

_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey  
_  
_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you  
_

_(yeah-ah-ah) --__**Connor**__  
Life is a road and I wanna keep going  
Love is a river I wanna keep going on....  
Starting out on a journey (__**Kim**__)  
Life is a road and I wanna going  
Love is river I wanna keep flowing  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you._

As they all cheered, some more in shock than others, Kira remained quiet. She couldn't get it out of her mind that there was something very familiar about their voices.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Ethan said, "I didn't know you could sing."

Connor laughed, "Well now you do." He and the others looked over at Kira.

"Oh my God," she said softly.

"Kira? Are you ok?" he asked. She shook her as she looked between him and Kim, "Why didn't I see it before?"

"See what?" Hayley asked. Kim looked at Kira, a slow smile building on her lips. She waited to patiently for Kira to say it. Kira looked up at her and saw the smile on her face, "You're TCrane," she said and then she turned to Connor, "And you're CJ Knight, aren't you?"

"WHAT?!"

A/N: so how did you guys like it? Tanya's now getting suspicious and tired of Kat's attitude. I wonder how many people saw her as being the one. Everything's coming out. I just had to put some fluff between Connor/Kira, Trent/Krista and little of Kim/Tommy. If anything seems rushed (like Kim/Tommy) then I'm sorry. I just had to do this chapter like this in preparation for next chapter, all the secrets come out. So read and review.

_Songs: I'm Coming Out—_Diana Ross; _At the Beginning—_from the soundtrack of Anastasia


	17. The Cat's Out of the Bag

A/N: hey, I know. Finally it's here (ducks all flying projectiles). I truly am sorry it took so long. Hope you guys enjoy it.

The others turned to Kim and Connor before looking back at Kira. They couldn't believe what Kira had just said.

"Kira why did you say that?" Ethan asked, "I mean, there's no way; is there?"

"I'm right aren't i?" Kira asked Kim.

"Yes, you are," Kim nodded.

"Are you serious?" Trent said, "Connor is a professional singer?"

"Yeah," Connor said sheepishly, "How do you think I got the CD signed for Kira."

"You showed them that?" Kim smiled.

"Yeah," Krista said, "He was telling us that he met you and we didn't believe him, so he showed us the CD."

"Well, when we met, he didn't know who I was," Kim said, "It wasn't until after we had really gotten to know each other that he found out. He had stopped by my place after a soccer game and had heard me singing."

"When I made the comment that she sounded a lot like TCrane," Connor said, "She told me she was. Of course I didn't believe her at first, until she took her outfit and put it on."

"After that, he was always at my shows," Kim said.

"But how did you know that he could sing?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, I was writing a song and I needed some input," Kim said, "One day when he was over at my place, he heard me and asked if he could help, so we sat there and thought about it. When the song was complete, I started singing it, when it came to the male part, he joined in with me."

"When she realized I could sing," Connor said, "She convinced me to sing it on her album with her."

"I convinced him to sing some more songs as well," Kim said.

"But I don't get it," Kira said, "I thought you stopped singing in 2004?"

"I had stopped," Kim said, "But it wasn't a full stop. See, Connor found about me being TCrane later in the year, just after Christmas, I think. When I realized he could sing, I asked for his help and brought out two more albums early the next year."

"But when they wanted her to tour to promote them," Trini said, "She declined."

"Wait, you guys knew?" Hayley asked.

"Yep," Rocky said, "We all did, well except for Tommy."

"Actually," Tommy started, catching everyone's attention, "I knew as well."

"How?" Hayley asked.

"Well, like Rocky said," he started, "I didn't know, at least not at first, but when I heard her songs on the radio, I realized that I recognized the voice, and when you've known someone for so long and you've heard them sing more than once, you tend to recognize them anywhere. And besides, they already told me a while back."

"So why didn't you tell us you could sing Connor?" Kira asked, hurt evident in her voice.

"Yea man," Ethan said, "I thought we were best buds?"

"You guys are my best friends," he said, "But I couldn't tell you, I couldn't tell anyone because it wouldn't have been fair."

"Fair to whom?" Kira asked.

"Fair to you," he said, "I was already the popular jock in school; do you know what would've happened if anyone had found out I could sing?"

"Everybody would've focused on him," Kim said as she looked over at Kira, "And no one would have known just how good of a singer you are. You would have gotten pushed to the background."

"I could understand that," Ethan said, "But why didn't you tell us?"

"Come on Ethe," he said, "If I had told you, what would you have done? You would have tried to get me to sing onstage, and then the same thing that Kim said would've happened; everyone would focus more on the jock that could sing, rather than on the very talented singer who sang from her heart."

"Guys you shouldn't be mad at him," Kim said, "He only did it, because he didn't want to take any spotlight away from you. Like if anyone knew that he actually paid attention in Math or in any of his classes."

"Ethan was the smartest kid in math class," Krista said, "The only person that got even close to him was…"

"Jay Knight," Connor said, "And that was me."

"Really?" Ethan said.

"Why do you think I always used to grab my paper first," he said, "Or why I used to hide it when I got it back? Did you ever wonder why Ms. Stanfield used to say nothing to me?"

"I just thought that you didn't like how your score turned out," Ethan said, "And that Ms. Stanfield was just used to it, so she didn't bother saying anything."

"Thanks a lot Ethan," Connor said before he turned his attention back to Kira, "Kira? Say something please?"

"I want to be mad at you," she said, "I really do, but I just can't. I understand why you didn't say anything, and I love you for it. I always knew you were smarter than you let on."

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her, which got catcalls from everyone.

"OK, I have a question," Caitlin said.

"What's that Cait?" Kim asked.

"Well, it seems that there was more to the song than anything," she said, "How did you come to write it anyways?"

"Well it was when we were at Phaedos," Kim said.

"Phaedos?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah that's where we got our ninjetti powers," Tommy said.

"Do you remember when you were standing on the plateau after we got our animal spirits and I came to stand by you?" Kim asked him.

"Yeah," Tommy answered.

"Well that's what I was thinking about when I wrote that song. I was remembering standing up there with you and I remembered thinking about everything that we had gone through," she said, "I was thinking about how we had started out as strangers, enemies even. At the time, looking back, I thought no one could have predicted that we'd go through everything that we did. And standing on the plateau, looking out at the jungle, I felt as if everything was just beginning. I mean, we were gaining a whole new set of powers, different than what we'd touch before."

"When I heard you guys singing it just now I was amazed," Tommy told her, "I thought it was a perfect fit to everything we had been through as well. It made me think about how I felt when the spell was broken and how you accepted me, no questions asked. I also thought about how I felt when I lost my green ranger powers and how being with you made believe I could get through anything."

"Well what about Connor?" Tanya asked.

"What about me?"

"Well, how did you feel when you first sang this song with Kim?" she asked.

"I felt the same way actually," he said, "Only I was thinking about Kira."

"Explain please," Ethan said.

"Well when Kim showed me what she had written, I read the words, and the first thought that came to my mind was Kira," he started, "I remembered the day we became rangers. And I thought to myself, that day was the beginning for me, for all of us. I thought about when I didn't want to a ranger, because I doubted myself, and after saving the little girl and talking with Kira afterwards, I knew that this was something that I should do." He turned to Kira, "It didn't matter if we weren't dating at the time, but I always felt like you were my lifeline. You were the first girl that didn't take any crap from me, and you were the first girl to actually treat me like I was more than a dumb jock, capable of having sensible and coherent conversations with others without coming off like a freak or something."

"Wow," Ethan said, "No wonder that meteor rock made you into a geek, it tapped into the part you were always trying to hide."

"Yea," he said, "It did."

"Okay," Trent said, "So what else don't we know about you?"

"Well, I'm very fluent in French and I majored in Business."

"Are you freaking serious?" Trent said.

"Yes he is," Kim smiled, "Come on, you guys already know he's CJ Knight, did you forget that I brought out a French album and that CJ Knight sang with me on it?"

"Oh yeah," Trent said sheepishly, which caused the others to laugh.

"OK, now that we have that out of the way," Jason said, before smirking at Kim and Tommy, "Would you two mind telling me why you're sharing clothes?" when he said that, everyone turned their attention to the two blushing adults.

"Nothing happened," Tommy said.

"Now how are we to believe that when Kim is wearing the top to you pajama bottom?" Zack said a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Well," Kim started, "After we got up, Tommy went up to his room and to put some clothes on, he came back down in his pajamas, saying that we weren't going anywhere and he wanted to be comfortable. I didn't really have any big shirts or anything, and the sweatshirt that I usually wear, was some where between everything, so he offered his shirt. I just grabbed some shorts and the rest as they say is history."

"So nothing happened?" Trini asked.

"Nothing happened," Kim and Tommy said.

"Methinks thou doth protest too much," Aisha said.

"Whatever," Kim said, "Believe what you want."

"Oh trust me," Jason smirked, "I will." He laughed and ducked when Kim threw the chair pillow at him.

"Wait, I have to know something," Rocky said, "I've always wanted to know, but never asked."

"What is it Rocky?" Billy asked.

"Kim, what does TCrane stand for?" he asked, to which Kim blushed.

"Yes, Kim," Trini said with a smile, "How did you come up with that name?"

"I really hate you guys," she said.

"No you don't," Tanya said, "You love us, now answer the question."

Kim glanced at Tommy before turning back to the others, the blush now in full swing, "Do I really have to answer?"

"Yes you do," Adam said. She looked over at Tommy again before ducking her head. Jason caught on to the look and looked from her to Tommy and back again. When he swung his gaze back to Kim, he laughed, "No way. I don't believe it."

"What is it Jason?" Hayley asked.

"You guys don't get it?" he laughed, "Come on, think about it; TCrane. Doesn't it sound familiar?"

"Well, I know that it has to do with her ninja powers because she was the crane," Billy said, "But what I don't get is where the 'T' came from."

By now Rocky had caught on to what Jason was saying. He started laughing, "Oh my God, you've got to be kidding me. I don't believe it."

"Believe what Rocky?" Adam frowned.

"You saw it too?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," He laughed again. Trini looked at Kim and Tommy and opened her eyes wide.

"Girl what is it?" Aisha asked.

"Think about it Sha," she said, "TCrane, think about it."

Aisha thought about for a few seconds before her eyes opened wide. She looked over to Kim and them to Tommy who had a blush on his face, "You figured it out didn't you?" she said to him.

"Yeah I did," Tommy said.

"What is it?" Angela said.

"TCrane stands for Tommy's Crane," Aisha said, "Doesn't it?" Everyone turned to Kim and Tommy.

"Yes it does," Kim said.

"Really?" Kira asked and when Kim nodded she continued, "How did you come up with it? I mean, I thought you were angry at Dr O?"

"I was," Kim said, "But even though I was angry, deep down I knew that I still loved him, so when I chose that name, I guess it was my way of saying that he would always be apart of me."

"Wow," Caitlin said, "You guys went through a lot."

"We did," Kim said, "We all did, but I'd like to think that we're stronger because of it."

"Yes we are," Trini said. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the growling of Kim's stomach, who blushed when everyone looked at her.

"OH MY GOD," Rocky exclaimed, "I can't believe we forgot about breakfast." With that everyone made their way back to the kitchen. Trini and Aisha finished up breakfast, and everyone gathered around the table. They all ate quietly for a few minutes before the silence was broken by Ethan, "Hey about last night…" he trailed off as he saw everybody except Kat tense, who seemed to be in a world all her own.

"What about it?" Kim asked, as she just wanted to forget certain things about that night.

"Well I was just wondering why you and Connor were so against us getting you cabs," Ethan said. Kim sighed as she looked over at Connor. She then got up and rinsed her cup out at the sink before placing it on the counter. Trini looked at the others and saw Tommy looking at Kim like he was considering getting and going to her. She caught his attention and gave a subtle shake of her head. She then got up and went to stand next to Kim and rubbed her arms, "Kim sweetie, what is it? What happened?"

"I don't know how to tell you guys what happened," she said.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"Because I'm afraid of how you'll react," she answered.

"It's ok sis," Zack said, "Just tell us."

She took a deep breath, "OK, you remember when Connor said that he permanently moved in with me about seven months ago?"

"Yeah?" Jason said. His instincts had kicked in and he knew that what she was about to say, he wouldn't like it.

Connor looked over at Ethan and the others, "You know that they had a very important soccer game about two months ago."

"Yeah," Ethan said, "It was your team and Italy, I think."

"But you weren't in it though," Trent said, "I remember because we were watching it, hoping that we'd see you. And when you had called we had forgot to ask why you didn't play."

"That was because I couldn't," he said.

"Why not?" Caitlin asked.

"About seven months ago, Connor had a soccer match in Spain, and I had a job to do in England," Kim said, "Things in England didn't go so well for me and because his match finished early, instead of going back with the team to France, Connor had decided to stop over in England and then we would've flown home together."

"Did you lose you job or something?" Rocky asked.

"No, I did great on the job actually," Kim said, "I did so great that I finished up early as well and me and Connor were going to spend my last few days in England sight seeing and what's not. Getting off track here, anyway, things went sour and we decided to leave early…

_Flashback_

"_Man, I can't believe this," Connor said as he helped Kim pack the rest of her bags. _

"_Me either," she said as a few tears streamed down her face. She had already called Trini and Aisha and let them know. To say they were pissed, was an understatement. _

"_How are you?" he asked as he closed the last of the suitcase. When he looked at her, he saw the tears and walked over to her and closed his arms around her, "Shhh, it's going to be ok."_

"_I guess everything is just sinking in," she sniffled, "Come on let's go, we don't want to miss our plane." He nodded and grabbed the suitcases while she grabbed the rest of their stuff. They went out to the taxi and loaded it up before taking off. The arrived at the airport and checked in. within ten minutes, they were being seated on the plane. They were both quiet as they were thinking about what happened in the last few days. The plane took off and they both fell asleep within minutes. What seemed like hours later, they woke to the sound of pilot's voice saying that they were descending at the Les Misérables International Airport. They waited until the plane came to a stop before gathering their stuff to exit the plane. As they were leaving they heard the stewardess say, "Au Revoir et bienvenue en France." They muttered, "Merci," before stepping off the plane. After collecting their luggage, they went outside to call a cab. As the doors opened, Conner took a big breath and turned to smile at Kim, "It's good to be home."_

"_I know," she smiled, "Come on, let's get a cab and go home. I still have to call my parents to let them know I'm back."_

"_Ok," he said. He saw a taxi and hailed it over. When it stopped, he turned to Kim, "Why don't you go ahead, I can put these in the trunk."_

"_Are you sure you won't need help?" she asked._

"_I'm sure," he smiled._

"_Ok," she said before stepping into the car. She eased over to the far side, so that he could enter. When he did, he gave the driver the address and settled back in the seat. The taxi pulled away from the terminal and eased its way into traffic. Kim and Connor were both silent, just enjoying each other's company as only friends could. About half-way from the airport, Connor shifted in his seat before turning to look at Kim;_

"_Oh man, I'm so hungry," Connor said._

"_You're always hungry," Kim giggled, "I swear, you remind me so much of Rocky."_

"_Is he the one you said is like the human garbage disposal?"_

"_Yep," she said, "He loves to eat, even more than you." he opened his mouth to say something, but instead, a look of horror came across his face. It seemed as if time had stopped or everything was moving in slow motion. Coming towards the taxi was a truck. He heard Kim scream, felt pain and then there was silence. The last thing he saw before he succumbed to unconsciousness was Kim's body falling towards him._

_End flashback_

The silence that now enveloped the room was absolutely deafening. It seemed that no one could move even if they wanted to.

"Oh my God Kim," Trini said after a while, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want anyone to worry about me," she said.

"Worry?" Jason said, his voice rising, "Kim, you were in a car accident, you could've died." Tommy sat there as the others expressed their concern. He couldn't really hear, all he kept seeing was the accident, almost as if he was there. His heart was pounding as he realized that Kim could've died and he wouldn't have gotten a chance to tell her how he felt. After she had fallen asleep last night, he had woken back up and had lain in bed to think about what he was going to do. After a while, he came to the conclusion that he was going to have to listen to his heart and finally do what he should have done years ago; get Kim back. But now, what she was saying was that he almost didn't have a chance.

"Look guys," Kim said as she held up her hand to quiet them, "I know that you are worried, but we're fine. Connor just can't play heavy soccer and I had no major damage. The truck swerved at the last minute and we got lucky."

When they opened their mouth to speak, Connor cut them off, "I know you're all probably upset, but the reason we didn't tell anyone, was because we knew that you guys would worry yourself to death about what happened. You would've dropped everything to try and be by our side, and how do you think that would have made us feel?"

"Look guys," Kim said, "I know that you're upset, but let's just put it behind us. Connor and I are fine. We didn't even stay in the hospital that long. If it had been worse, then I would have had my mom call you guys. So please, let's not let this ruin our vacation together."

The others looked at her and saw that she really didn't want this to ruin their mood. They weren't happy with something happening to her as serious as this, but they did understand why she didn't want them to worry. So they agreed to put it behind them. Kira let out grunt and got up from the table. She didn't look at anyone as she made her way out. Connor sighed and got up to go after her.

_(With Kira and Connor)_

'_**I can't believe this. I can't believe he almost died and he didn't think it was something that we needed to know about.' **_Kira thought as she made her way to the back porch. She walked to the end and sat down on the swing. She was staring moodily into space when she heard his voice, "Kira? Are you ok?"

For some reason, that just pissed her of. She stood up and whirled on him so fast that he stepped back, "DAMN IT CONNOR I AM NOT OK," She yelled, "You could have been killed and you didn't think it was important enough to let your best friends know something like that?"

"Kira—

"NO, let me talk," she cut him off, "I love you ok, and I can't imagine life without you Connor, and to sit there and hear you say that you were in an accident that could have killed you…" she trailed off as tears formed in her eyes. Connor swore softly and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know," she said, "It's just that…to think we almost might not have gotten a chance to tell each other how we felt…that thought scares me."

"I really am sorry," he said.

"I love you so much Connor," she raised her head to look at him, "I don't what I'd do if I lost you."

"Well, you'll never have to know," he said before he kissed her.

_(Back with the others)_

"Think they're ok?" Krista asked.

"Yeah," Kim answered her, "She's upset over the fact that she could've lost him and not know how they felt about each other."

"What went wrong in England that caused you to leave early?" Tanya asked.

"I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me," Kim said and watched as Kat flinched and hide her face even more.

"What? Oh my God," Tanya said. Tommy raised his head to look at her and saw that she was holding something back.

"Yeah," Kim said bitterly, "Some guy huh?"

"Wait," Jason said, "Are you talking about Jean-Luc?"

"Yeah," Kim said. Trini and Aisha noticed that Kat was looking more uncomfortable as the talk went on, but Tanya noticed it as well.

"What happened?" Angela asked.

"Nothing really," Kim said, "He told me that he was going to Marseilles on a business trip but was actually in England cheating on me. I confronted him and ended it. End of story."

"You don't seem all that broken up about it," Hayley said.

"That's because I'm not," Kim said. She paused before continuing, "Jean-Luc was really sweet but I was by no means in love with him. I was glad for the relationship to be over, but…"

"But what hurts was the betrayal and the way in which he did it," Caitlin said.

"Yes," Kim said, "But I got over it and him, so on to more pleasant topics."

"That's my girl," Aisha smiled.

"I want to hear more of this singing thing," Krista said. Before Kim could say anything, Connor and Kira walked back in the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" Kim asked, concern evident in her voice.

Kira looked up to Connor and smiled before turning back to answer her question, "Yep, everything's good."

"Ok, well then," Rocky said, "I say we head back to the front room so that Kim can continue her concert for us."

"I second that," Jason said as he got up. The others got up as well and after clearing the dishes away, headed back out. Kim sighed as she saw the look on Kat's face. _**'It's her own damn fault that everyone's practically against her right now. But then why do I feel some pity towards her? Ugh, damn it; why did I have to be so nice to everyone?' **_Kim forced her thoughts from Kat and took the rest of her dishes to the sink. She turned and saw Tommy watching her silently. She smiled and walked over to him, "Come on, let's go before the natives get restless."

As she made to move past him, he grabbed her arm, "Can we talk?"

"What about Tommy?" she asked as she looked up into his eyes.

"Can we?" he asked again.

"Sure," she nodded, "We can go out on the porch or in the backyard."

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested.

"Alright."

He placed his hands on the small of her back as the two walked out the kitchen and passed their friends, "Where are you two going?" Kat asked. The first time anyone heard her voice since the incident in the kitchen.

"To talk," Tommy said.

"What about?" she asked as she stood, "And why do you have to go out to do it?"

"Because I want to talk to her without everyone listening in," Tommy said.

"But I don't see—

"Kat," he cut her off, "Why are you making such a big deal out of me talking to Kim? We're friends," _**'No matter how much I wish otherwise' **_ "And I want to talk to her without everyone hanging on to every word that we're saying, like they're doing right now." They all blushed and laughed when he said that. Kim looked over at Kat and saw her glance quickly at her. The move might have been quick, but it let Kim see the displeasure and know that she didn't like the way her boyfriend always wanted to be with her.

"Tommy, maybe we should…"Kim started only to be cut off by Tommy.

"No, I really do need to talk to you," he said.

"I know," she sighed and let her gaze drift to Kat for second, "I need to talk to you too."

"So go talk already," Trini smiled and waved them out.

"Ok," Kim said. Tommy opened the door and let Kim walk out ahead of him. He didn't even look back at Kat or the others; if he had he would have seen the calculating smiles on Trini, Aisha, Kira and Connor's face and the fearful one on Kat's. Kim and Tommy walked around her back yard in silence, after a few minutes Tommy turned to her, "Kim?"

"Yes Tommy?"

"What really happened between you and Jean-Luc?"

She looked up in surprise, "How do you know something more happened?"

"I saw the look in your eyes when Caitlin said the betrayal hurt you more than anything, even though you were glad to see the relationship end," he said, "And I could also hear it in your voice that something else had happened, like there was more to the story than just him lying to you."

She remained silent as she listened to him. _**'Why did you have to know me better than anyone? Jase didn't pick up on it and Tri and Sha already knew—**_

"Kim?" Tommy jerked her out of her thoughts, "I'm right aren't I?"

She sighed, "Tommy…"

"Just tell me the truth," he said.

"OK, you're right; you're absolutely right," she said, "There is more to the story."

"What is it?"

"The reason why it hurt was because I knew the girl," she said.

"What?"

"I thought she was my friend, and that I could trust her," Kim said as tears filled her eyes, "but I guess I was wrong. I never thought that she'd betray me like that."

"OH Kim," he said as he wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks.

"Connor was the one that told me," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"He was coming back from practice and saw them together," Kim said, "He told me and when I confronted her, she admitted to everything, I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked, and what had hurt the most was that she didn't even seem to regret it and she didn't care that she ad hurt me. All she knew was that she wanted him, and she got him; our friendship be damned."

"Oh Kim," Tommy said as he pulled her into his arms, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

She opened her mouth to say something, but something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and saw Kat looking at them with something close to fear and anger on her face.

_(With the others)_

"So…what do you think Tommy wanted to talk to Kim about?" Hayley said.

"I don't know but it looks serious," Rocky said.

"Why do you say that?" Kat asked.

Rocky hesitated, wondering if he should say anything, but then realized that everyone was waiting on his answer. He sighed, "Because Kim looks like she's about to cry and Tommy just took her in his arms." Sure enough when they turn around, they saw Tommy wiping Kim's cheeks before pulling her into his arms.

Kat let out a huff, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What is it this time Kat?" Aisha said.

"Every time I turn around, she's in his arms," She huffed angrily, "You'd think he'd remember that he has a girlfriend."

"Kat don't start this again," Tanya said.

"Start what?"

"You know perfectly well what," Tanya said, "Why are you so defensive all of a sudden? Did you forget that Kim has known Tommy a lot longer than you have?"

"Yes but—

"No buts Kat," Tanya cut her off, "You might be his girlfriend, but Kim is his best friend."

"Some best friend she is," Kat scoffed, "She hasn't been in his life for years."

"Are you kidding me?" Trini said angrily, "You know perfectly well why Kim hasn't been in Tommy's life and yet you're sitting there and blaming her for it. You have some nerve Kat."

"Why are you so jealous of Dr O's and Kim's relationship?" Ethan asked.

"Oh, she's not jealous," Connor smiled, "She's terrified of it. She's insecure because she knows that Dr O still has some feelings for Kim."

"That's not true," she said.

"Oh really?" Connor said, "Then do you care to explain why you've been a bitch to Kim since she got here?"

Everyone looked at Kat waiting for an answer, but she couldn't say anything. She looked to where Tommy and Kim were, before swinging her gaze over to Trini, Aisha, Kira and Connor. Tanya looked at her friend and saw anger, but she also saw fear below it. _**'What is she afraid of?' **_"Kat," she said catching her attention.

"What is it Tanya?"

"Why are you so afraid of Kim and Tommy talking?" Tanya asked. Kat widen her eyes slightly before looking back at the two in question. Tanya had asked that question because she had wanted to see if it would provoke some type of reaction. And it did. She looked around and while most of them had looks of confusion, Trini, Aisha, Kira and Connor all seemed to be smiling.

"I'm not afraid of them talking," she said shakily.

"Could've fooled me," Connor said.

"Yeah Kat," Trini smiled, "Why are you afraid? You're acting like there's something that Kim has to tell Tommy and you're afraid of what it is."

"You know," Aisha smiled, "Now that you mention it, she did look scared when Tommy had first wanted to talk to Kim our first night here. Gee Kat; you're not hiding something from us, are you?"

The others looked on, wondering why they were asking these questions. Tanya just had a look of suspicion on her face. _**'This is not the first time that that they said something like that, and again I can't help but feel that there is something more going than what we know. And it's time I found out what it is.' **_"You know something," she started catching everyone's attention.

"What?" Aisha asked.

"Ever since we got here, something weird has been going on," Tanya said, "And that feeling became stronger after Kim got here."

"What do you mean Tanya?" Trini smiled as she watched Kat's face paled.

"I'm talking about that," Tanya said, "The way the four of you (referring to Tri, Sha, Connor and Kira) seem to have these secret smiles of your face and the way that Kat becomes worried or defensive."

"Like I said in the kitchen," Tanya said, "I think that there's something going on that we don't know about and you four know what it is. And it has to do with Kimberly. So I want to know, now."

"There's nothing to tell Tanya," Kat said.

"Why don't I believe you?" She said, "I saw the way you reacted when Kim was talking about Jean-Luc; and the way you acted in the club last night and the way you're trying to get me to let this go tells me that something is up. So I'm asking you Kat, and don't lie to me, is there something going on, something that they know but you don't want the rest of us to know, especially Tommy?"

"No Tanya there isn't," she said, "I already told you, so just let it go."

"You're lying," Kira said. But before anyone could ask why she said that, they heard Tommy's voice, "Kat can we talk?"

_(With Tommy and Kim)_

Kim sighed as Kat turned back to the others. She had to talk to Tommy about it soon.

"Hey what's that sigh for?"

"It's just," she started, "I think that Kat's a little jealous."

"What? Why would she be jealous?" Tommy asked puzzled.

"She's jealous over the fact that you're talking with me," Kim said, "I know it's silly, but it's how she feels."

"I don't know why she would feel that way," he said, "You're one of my best friends Kim."

"I know Tommy," Kim said, "But I can see it in her eyes. I think that you should talk to her, just let her know what's up."

"You're right," he said, "Ok, I will talk to Kat."

"Of course I'm right," she smiled. He laughed as he wrapped hi arm around her waist. She noticed that he looked to be in thought about something. "What is it Tommy?"

"So are you sure you're over Jean-Luc?" he asked, "I mean, if he shows up now and wants you back…"

"Tommy, Jean-Luc could show up claiming he's the prince of Egypt," she smiled, "and I still wouldn't take him back. I meant it when I said that I'm not sorry we broke up."

"Was he a good boyfriend to you?" he asked. When she raised an eyebrow, he smiled, "I mean besides the obvious."

"Yes he was," she sighed. As a dreamy look crossed her face, Tommy had to stifle a swell of jealousy. "He was good to me, and the sex was…" she trailed off as he let out a sound, "Is something wrong Tommy?"

"No…yes…maybe…I don't know," he said as he ran his hand through his hair, which she knew indicated that he was nervous about something.

"Talk to me Tommy," she said.

"It's just, I miss you Kim," he said.

"You said that before Tommy," she said, "And I'm right here."

"Not like that," he said. He paused and looked at the house before looking back at her. _**'She's so beautiful. I love her so much.' **_

"What is it Tommy?"

"When you told us about the accident, I was so scared Kim," he said, "The last time I was that scared, was when Zedd had stole your coin and you ended up in the hospital. I mean, I know that you're fine now, but the thought of losing you…"

"I'm sorry Tommy," she said as she rubbed his arm. She looked up into his eyes and saw the emotion in them. She also saw something that scared her. It was love. The last time Tommy had looked at her like that was when she under that spell.

"When I said I missed you," he said, "I wasn't talking about missing my best friend."

"What were you talking about then?" she asked; her heart pounding as she thought about what he could mean.

"I miss having you as my girlfriend," he said.

"Tommy—

"No let me talk," he blew out breath and started talking again, "I know that I'm with Kat, but I can't help but think of you. Do you know that it took every ounce of my will power not to kiss you last night? I wanted to make love to you so bad, but I knew that I couldn't. When we were in the club and you were dancing with that guy, I wanted to kill him. I was so jealous that Jason said my eyes flashed green."

"Really?" she asked, though she already knew, courtesy of Aisha.

"Yes," he said. He was quiet for awhile and then he did something that brought a smile to her face; he took her hand in his and unconsciously rubbed his thumb over the back of it. She looked down and then looked back at him. She watched as he lowered his head and placed a very gentle kiss on her lips. It was reminiscent of their very first kiss.

"I love you Kim," he said, "I always have and I always will."

"I love you too Tommy," she said, "but we can't do anything about it. The truth is, you're still with Kat, and I know that you don't want to hurt her."

"I know, but if I stay with her knowing that I was still in love with you then it would be hurting her even more," he said.

"I've never known you to be so straight forward," she smiled, "Where's the Tommy that was too shy to kiss me in public, except for those two times."

"He's not here anymore Kim," he said, "This is adult Tommy you're dealing with, and he knows exactly what he wants, and that's you."

"I want to be with you too Tommy," she said, "But you have to straighten things out with Kat."

"I know," he said, "And I think I should go get it over with."

"Now?"

"If I wait any longer, it'll just hurt her more," he said.

"Ok," Kim said, "Let's go." She turned to walk back to the house but stopped when he grabbed her arm. She turned back to ask him what was wrong but found his lips covering hers. She gasped in surprised and felt his tongue in her mouth. She moaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When Tommy heard her moan, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He ran his hands down her back and settled them on her ass. She shifted and heard him moan when she rubbed against his erection. After having a tongue war for a few minutes, she pulled away a little breathless. He rested his forehead on hers and looked into her eyes, "Wow," she said, "That was…"

"I know," he said and gave her a shorter kiss, "Let's go get this over with."

"Ok," she said she leaned against him. When she felt his erection, she giggled, "Do you need a moment to get yourself together?"

"Yeah," he smiled sheepishly. They stood there for a few moments before he grabbed her hand, "Let's go."

They walked back to the house and saw the others. Tommy hesitated for a moment, but when he looked at Kim and saw her smile, he knew that he was doing the right thing. They walked over to the others and he called to Kat, "Kat can we talk?"

"Sure Tommy," she said.

"In private I mean," he added as he realized that she wasn't moving. Kat looked over to Kim and then back to Tommy.

"Sure Tommy," she said. She walked over to him and then looking at Kim, she kissed him on the lips. Kim rolled her eyes at Kat's obviousness, _**'Jeez, can this girl be anymore obvious. If she only knew what happened outside and what he need's to talk to her about.' **_

When Kat realized that Tommy didn't respond to the kiss, she felt fear fill her heart. She looked at Kim and saw that her lips looked a little swollen and her eyes had held a sparkle that wasn't there before. She let Tommy lead her outside and they sat down on the back porch steps.

_(With Kim and the others)_

"So what happened in here?" Kim asked.

"How do you know something happened?" Angela asked her.

"Probably because Tri, Sha, Con and Kira have a smile on their face, Tanya looks suspicious about something, you guys look confused and Kat looked absolutely fearful; so I ask again, what happened?"

"I wanted to know why Kat was so scared of you and Tommy talking," Tanya said, "but tell me something first."

"What?"

"What were you and Tommy talking about?" she asked. Everyone turned their attention to Kim. She looked at them before allowing her gaze to go to where Tommy and Kat were. She turned back to the others and said, "I can't say, at least not yet."

"But you will tell us right?" Trini said.

"Of course," Kim smiled at her, "When have I ever kept something from you?" Trini raised her eyebrow, "Besides that."

"Nothing," she answered.

_(With Tommy and Kat)_

"What did you and Kim talk about Tommy?" Kat asked.

"Jean-Luc," Tommy said, "And you." he did not know that the way he worded his words caused Kat to go into a panic

"Me? And Jean-Luc?" Kat asked, "What about us."

"She told me about you and how you were feeling since she came back," he said, "And she also told me about him."

"Did she tell you everything?"

He looked at her, "Of course she did. I knew that there was more to the story than what she said in the kitchen and I asked her about it. She didn't want to, but she eventually told me truth."

"She did?" Kat asked, _**'He knows. I can't believe she told him. She said she wouldn't.'**_

"I know her better than most," Tommy said, "So why wouldn't she tell me?"

"And you believed her?" Kat asked.

"Yes I did," Tommy said, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I just don't understand why you would feel that way?"

"Tommy, I know this looks bad, but I swear I didn't mean for anything to happen," she said.

"What, you didn't think I'd found out?"

"Well no not really," Kat said getting a little angry. _**'I can't believe she told him.' **_ She looked over and saw that he was still wearing his pajama bottom. When she turned, she saw that Kim was wearing the top still and she became angry and suspicious. In her panic that Kim had told Tommy, she completely forgot that they had already explained why they were dressed like that.

"Were you hoping I'd never find out?" he asked.

"Yes I did," Kat said, "After everything I did for it to be this way, of course I wouldn't want you to find out, but she just had to open her mouth."

"Kat, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," she said as she got up. Without saying anything else she stormed into the house.

_(With the others)_

"Uh oh," Billy said as he saw Kat heading back inside, "She looks pissed."

"I wonder why," Zack said.

"Kat, what's wrong?" Tanya said.

She ignored everybody as she stood in front of Kim, "You had just to tell him did you?"

"Tell him what?" Kim said confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Kat said, oblivious to the shock on the others' face, "You told Tommy."

"You did?" Trini asked.

"No, I didn't," Kim said, "I have no idea what the hell she's talking about."

"OH don't play dumb Kimberly," Kat said, "I thought you didn't want to ruin this reunion?"

Kim's eyes widened as she understood what Kat was talking about, "Uhm, Kat, I think you should stop before you say something else."

Kat ignored her, "After everything I did to get him, you think I'm going to give him up that easily."

"Kat—

"First you sleep with him and then you went and told him everything," Kat said.

"How many times do I have to tell you," Kim said frustrated, "Tommy and I didn't sleep together."

"Well, from the way you're dressed I'd say otherwise," She said angrily, "What? You decided that since I did it to you, you'd do it to me?"

"What is she talking about?" Tanya asked.

"Kat's about to blow the whistle on herself," Aisha whispered to Trini.

"I know," She said, "What I don't get is why Kim's trying to stop her." Aisha shrugged and turned back to the two girls.

"Look if you're going to keep going on about that, then that's your problem," Kim said, "But no matter what you did to me, and no matter how much you deserve it, I'd never sleep with someone's boyfriend, and certainly not for revenge."

"What the hell are they talking about?" Angela asked.

"It sounds like Kim's saying Kat did something to her," Rocky said. They looked at him for a minute before turning back to the two.

"I love Tommy, ok," Kat said.

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it," Kim said, "When you love someone, you do everything in your power not to hurt them, can you really say that you did that? You can't, which means you never loved Tommy in the first place."

"How dare you?" Kat shrieked, "Of course I love him, I never would have wrote those stupid letters if I didn't."

"WHAT?!" Everyone besides Aisha, Trini, Connor, Kira and Kim yelled.

Kat blinked as she looked around, as if finally realizing that they were still in the room. Her eyes widened as she looked at them.

"Kat, did I hear you right?" Tanya said, "Did you just say that you wrote those letters?"

"Wh-wh-what?" Kat stuttered, "Of course not."

"We all heard you Kat," Jason said, "So don't bother try to deny it. It _**was **_you, wasn't it? The one that wrote the letters that everyone got."

Kat looked around at them and saw that there was no way to deny it, she was caught and her secret was out, "Yes ok, yes, I wrote them."

"What?" Tommy said, "You're admitting it?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do it Kat?" Tommy asked her, anger coursing through his body.

"I did it for you Tommy," she said, "I did it for us; so that we could be together like we were meant to."

"Are you fucking serious?" Tommy yelled. The teens and Hayley all flinched as they'd never heard or seen him so angry that he'd swear. "Do you know what you put me through? What you put all of us through?"

"I love you Tommy," Kat said as tears filled her eyes, "Kim wasn't the one for you. I could see it, but you couldn't."

"Love? Love?" he said, "You don't know what that is. If you had loved me, then you never would've put me through that."

"I can't believe this," Tanya said, "You really were the one to write those letters?"

"Tanya—

"How could you Kat?" Tanya asked, "How could you write such hurtful things?"

"Please let me explain," Kat said.

"EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY KAT?" She yelled. The others looked at her in shock, never having heard Tanya raise her voice before. "How you manipulated all of us? How you let us believe that Kimberly wrote those letters, when you knew damn well that you were the one that did it."

"Why Kat?" Adam asked, "Why did you do it?"

At his question, she felt anger flow through her and she whirled around to look at him, "I did it because of all of you."

"What?" Zack asked, "How are we to blame for what you did?"

"Because of the way you treated me," she said.

"How we treated you?" Rocky asked, "We treated you like a friend, like someone we cared about."

"We treated you good Kat," Adam said.

"Yes, but you treated Kimberly better," she said bitterly.

"Is that what this is all about, Kimberly?" Tommy asked.

"What the hell did you think it was about?" she said, "It's always about Kimberly."

"Don't bring me into this," Kim said.

"Why not? You always are anyways," she said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Trini asked.

"I'm talking about the fact that everything seemed to always be about Kimberly," she said, "You are always there, even when you're not."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Rocky asked.

"I'm talking about the way that you all treated her," Kat replied, "Like she was royalty or something. She left you guys and yet you still treated her like that. I was the new pink ranger but did that matter? No, it didn't, because none of you ever saw me, you always saw her."

"That's not true," Billy said.

She continued like she didn't hear him, "Even Zordon seemed to bend backwards for her. Always calling her his pink ranger, but he always called me by my name. You were always his favorite and I hated it."

"You were jealous of Kimberly?" Hayley asked.

"OF COURSE I WAS," She yelled, "It was always Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly, and I was so sick of it. She was gone, I was there and it's like you didn't even realize or care."

"Of course we cared Kat, but Kim was our friend," Adam said, "And we knew her longer than we did you."

"But that still was no excuse for what you did," Tanya said.

"It was enough for me," Kat said, "DO you know how it felt, to hear you call Kim your little sister or the heart of the team, but I was just Kat or Katherine? Even you Tanya, I knew you longer than Kimberly, but you started calling her your little sister and you never once called me that. None of you ever called me your sister."

"But I didn't even have a friendship with Kim until a few years ago," Tanya said.

"And look what happened," she said bitterly, "All of a sudden, I was still your best friend, but she was your sister, and I hated her for it."

"But that still doesn't answer our question as to why you wrote those letters," Jason said.

"Well I wanted Kimberly out of the picture," she said, "I thought that if she wasn't there, then you guys would look at me the same way. You'd realize that I wouldn't be selfish to abandon my team and my boyfriend; you guys would realize that I was better because I would be there. So I wrote the letters to Kim first, and then pictures that I had stole with her and Tommy, I doctored them to make it look like me and I sent them to her. When she called Tommy's cell, I knew I had to do something. So I answered the phone and I pretended like I didn't know she was on the line."

"That's why you said what you did?" Kim asked, "Because you knew it was me?"

"Of course," she shrugged, "I needed you to believe that Tommy didn't want you anymore, and what better way to do that, than to have you think that he was cheating on you with me and that I was expecting his child. And when they letter came, I had do something else."

"So you sent the rest of the letters to all of us," Rocky said.

"I had to make sure that none of you wanted anything to do with her," she said calmly.

"So that night at the youth center," Kim said, "You did see."

"Yes I did," Kat smiled, "The look on your face was worth everything. And I knew then that Tommy was finally mine."

"I was never yours Kat," Tommy said, "There's only one person I ever gave myself to, and that was Kim."

"Are you nuts?" Rocky asked, "You were jealous of Kimberly, so you decided that hurting all of us was the way to make us like you?"

"I was tired of always coming second to her," Kat said, "I just wanted to be first for once, so I had to make you hate her."

SMACK! Everyone stood in shock; they couldn't believe that Tanya had just slapped Kat.

"Tanya, what—

"Do you have any idea what I went through?" she said quietly, "Of course you do, because you were there. I cried when I read that letter Kat, and you were there. You let me believe that someone I'd never met before could say such hurtful things."

"T—

"No," she cut her off, "Do you remember what the letter said? You said that I wasn't fit to replace Aisha as a ranger, that I should have just kept my ass in Africa instead of coming here and disgracing the powers, you all but told me I was incompetent and wasn't fit to be a ranger."

"Tanya please," Kat said, as tears filled her eyes, "I did it because I didn't want to lose you to her and I knew that I would if she had come home."

"Lose me to her? Do you hear yourself Kat?" Tanya said incredulous, "It was never about me Kat, it was about you, it always was. My God Kat, I cried my eyes out when I read that letter and you sat there and comforted me, all the while knowing it was you that did it."

"Tanya you're my best friend," she cried, "I did it because I wanted to be treated like her."

"Friends don't do to each other what you did to us," Tanya said, "I don't even know you anymore Kat, and I don't think I ever did. This friendship is over."

"What?" Kat said, "No, please just listen—

"Why should we?" Adam said, "You wanted Tommy and you didn't care if you had to hurt us to get him. You deliberately hurt the first person that ever became your friend, just because you were jealous? You lied to us Kat; you destroyed our friendships with Kimberly just because you wanted her place."

"I love you guys," She cried, "I just wanted to know what it would be like to be Kim."

"You don't know how to love someone and you could never be like Kim," Tommy said, his voice quiet but filled with anger, "Kim never would've done what you did. She never would've hurt her friends like you did. You can't claim to love someone and then do what you did, that is not love."

"Why can't you see that we were meant to be?" she cried, "We both faced Rita and we were both outsiders on the team. I know you better than anyone."

"No you don't Kat," he shook his head, "Kim knows me better than anyone, even Jason and Hayley. Sure I was the loner and there was I a part of myself that I always held back, but never with her. She could make me feel better with just a look, a touch, or a word. You could never do that."

"But you broke out of a spell for me, and you never did that for her," she said.

"No he didn't," Jason answered, "It was never you."

"What?" Tanya asked.

"Do you remember how Tommy was avoiding Kat after he was brainwashed and we thought it was because he was guilty?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Adam said.

"Well I was guilty," Tommy said, "But not because I was evil, but because I was thinking about Kim and I knew it would hurt Kat if she knew."

"Knew what?" Aisha asked.

"That it wasn't her that he heard," Jason said, "It was Kim."

"Me?" Kim asked softly.

"Yeah you," Jason said, "Tommy came to me and told me how he was feeling. He said that when he was trying to break the spell, it wasn't because he was hearing our voices, it was because he was remembering when he was the green ranger and how hurt you were when he was evil."

"Really?" Kim asked as she swung her gaze to Tommy.

"Yeah," he said "I kept seeing the hurt on your face, and when Kat hugged me, I was thinking about you; when you told me that I was worthy of being a ranger and that what happened was not my fault, I thought it was you I was holding. What snapped me out of it was the thought that I had hurt you once more," he turned to the others, "That's why I was confused when I said Kat's name, it was because I thought it was Kim."

"So it never was me?" Kat said softly.

"No it was always Kim," Tommy said, "I love her Kat, I always have. She's my better half; she makes me happy just by being there."

"I have a question," Angela said.

"What is it?"

"What did Kat mean when she said 'I did it to you, o you did it to me?' Angela said. At her question all gazes swung to Kat and then to Kim, who avoided their eyes.

"Kim?" Jason said. She looked over at them before looking directly at Kat and then Tommy. As Tommy watched her, her words from their conversation came back to him;

"…_it hurt because I knew the girl…"_

"…_thought she was my friend…never thought she'd betray me like that…"_

"…_she didn't care that she hurt me…she wanted him…our friendship be damned…"_

He turned to Kat, "It was you wasn't it?"

"What?" she asked. He swung his gaze back to Kim and then Connor. He remembered how Connor had acted when he first met Kat and knew without a doubt that that was the reason why. "It was her, wasn't it Connor?" he said, "That's why you acted that way towards her."

"Yes it was," Connor nodded his head.

"What are you two talking about?" Jason said.

"We're talking about why Connor was so cold towards Kat when he first met her," Tommy said, "It was because he knew."

"Knew what?" Trent asked.

"That Kat was the one that Jean-Luc cheated on Kim with," Connor said, "I saw them."

"WHAT!"

"Is this true?" Tanya asked as she turned to Kim, "Kim, is this true?"

"Yes it is," she answered, "That's how I found out about the letters. I had gone to talk to her about Jean-Luc and him cheating on me when I found a shoebox filled with pictures of me and Tommy and the copies of the doctored ones. I was going to ask her about them when I saw some envelops, so I reached for them and when I read them I realized what they were. When Kat came out, I confronted her and she admitted the entire truth, it helped of course that her diary was between there. She admitted it, and then she admitted to sleeping with Jean-Luc."

"Oh my God," Tanya turned to Kat, "You're a real piece of work you know that?"

"What the hell did Kim ever do to you that you would do this to her?" Zack asked.

"I just wanted it to be me," she said, "She had everything. It was like everything came easy for her."

"You really don't know anything about her," Trini said, "Kim never had anything easy. She had to work for everything she got. Her childhood was one even I wouldn't wish on you, and with everything that happened to her, the only thing that was right and good in her life was Tommy and even that was a battle at first. He was the one thing that made her life alright and you took it from her."

"Trini's right," Billy said, "Kim's life has been anything but easy, but you what? That's what made her who she is. She didn't let all the bad things get her down; she got through it and became stronger because of it. That's why we love her so much, and that's why you could never be her or be like her. She was always putting others first, which is something you never did, all you cared about was yourself. And what has it brought you? Nothing; you have not just only lost all of our trusts and friendship but you destroyed the trust of the one person that welcomed you to our group."

Everyone was silent as they thought about what Billy said. Kat raised her eyes and looked at everyone, "Now what?"

"You leave," Tanya said, "Your friendship with me is over Kat. I never want to see you again, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one that feels that way." The others nodded. Kat looked at the people that she had once called her friends, before she let her gaze drop to Kim, who was settled in Tommy's arms. She said nothing as she turned and walked out and headed up to her room to pack. The others sat around, saying nothing. About ten minutes later, Kat came back down the stairs with her bags. She looked out at them, tears in her eyes as she took in the scene. Kim was still in Tommy's arms on the couch, but Trini and Aisha was sitting next to her; Aisha in front of her on the floor, and Trini on her opposite side. Tanya was standing behind her, rubbing her hair with Adam's arms around her. The others had crowded around her. They looked up when they realized she was there. She smiled sadly and said, "All I ever wanted was to fit in."

"And you might've," Aisha said, "If you hadn't done what you did."

"I know," she whispered, "Goodbye." She turned and walked out the door. When they heard the door close, everyone let out a sigh. They were silent for awhile as they thought about everything that just happened. The silence was broken by Kim's tear-filled voice, "Guys?"

"Yes Kim?"

"I'm sorry," she said. At her words, everyone turned to her.

"What are you sorry about?" Tanya asked. She said nothing for a few minutes before speaking again, "Was she right?"

"Who? Kat?" Rocky asked. When she nodded he said, "Right about what Kim?"

"About me being Zordon's favorite?"

"Yes, she was," Trini said.

"No wonder she hated me," Kim cried, "I wouldn't be surprise if you were angry at me too."

"Why would we be angry?" Tommy asked, "Kim, look at me." When she raised her gaze to him, he continued, "We knew that you were Zordon's favorite, everyone could see it. But it's not your fault Kim. Zordon saw what we all did, someone with a huge heart that cared about everyone around her; someone that did everything in her power to make anyone feel welcome; that went out of her way to put a smile on your face if you were ever feeling down."

"He's right Kim," Jason smiled softly at his little sister, "Ever since we were kids, you were like that. You really are the heart of the team."

"We never told you this," Zack said, drawing her attention to him, "But when we first became rangers, we had decided that it would only be a matter of time before Zordon saw you as his favorite. We knew that he cared about all of us, but we had considered the possibility that he would probably favor you more."

"And we never hated you for it," Billy said, "We knew that you did nothing to encourage it, it was just the way you are."

"You have something about you that draws everybody in," Kira said, "Like a moth to a flame." Everyone let out a chuckle at that.

"So you guys don't hate me for it?" She asked.

"No Kim," Rocky said, "We don't. You're our little crane, the one that loves her friends and is fiercely protective. You can take care of yourself; we know that; you're so full of life and energy that it makes it hard not to want to protect you. We love you Kim, and we never hated you for being his favorite. We were actually happy that it was you because we thought you deserved it just for being who you are."

"Do you guys mean that?" she asked as she looked around at them.

"Yes we do firebird," Jason said.

"Kim," Tanya started.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell us about Kat earlier?" she asked. Everyone, except Kira, Trini, Aisha and Connor turned to hear her answer.

"Because, I knew that Tri, Sha and Connor already hated her and didn't want anything to do with her," she said, "And then when Kira found out, she didn't as well. So I guess, despite everything, I wanted her to have your friendships for a while because I knew that once the truth came out, then she would lose you all."

"She had already lost us," Aisha said, "But Kim wanted her to have time with you guys."

"And you wonder why you were Zordon's favorite," Rocky said. The others laughed when he said that.

"I love you guys so much," she said tearfully.

"We love you too," Hayley said.

"Group hug," Rocky said. They all laughed as they moved in for the hug, with Kim and Tommy in the middle.

"So now what?" Ethan asked.

"Now, we can enjoy the rest of this vacation without any tensions," Trini said, "Like the way we were supposed to." At that cheers went up around the room.

A/N: so what'd you guys think? Kat's secret is now out, and the others cut ties with her. Don't worry, this is not the end. Kim's mom still has to talk to her and I still have to bring it Eric and some other rangers, so read and review and tell me what you think.

A/N 2: I really hope the scene with Kat and the others was good for you, I'm not entirely sure if I did a good job are not, so I really hope you guys liked it.


	18. Arguments and Accidents

**A/N: hey guys. Sorry about the extra long wait. I had finals last week and four papers to write before that, so I couldn't update. But now it's finally here; so enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: own no one, though I wish I did**

The next day everyone was sitting around on the back porch, enjoying the morning and each others company. From her position in Tommy's arms, Kim looked out at all her friends. She saw Billy and Hayley standing off to the side talking quietly with each other, _**'No doubt those two are probably talking about the Command Center in Tommy's basement.' **_ She saw how Billy would look at Hayley when she looked away and vice versa, _**'Those two would make such a cute couple.' **_She giggled, _**'Hmm, maybe all they need is a little push.' **_

"What's so funny?" Tommy whispered in ear.

She smiled and gestured to where Billy and Hayley were, "Those two; I think they like each other."

Tommy looked over at them, "You know, I think you're right. You're going to play matchmaker aren't you?"

"Who me?" she asked innocently, "I have no idea what you're getting at."

"Sure you don't Beautiful," He chuckled.

"Ok fine," she said, "They just need a little push and is it my fault if I want my friends to be happy."

"No."

"I mean," she started, "All of us are already paired off; Jase and Tri, Sha and Rocky, Adam and T, Zack and Angie, Cait and Ethan, Kira and Connor, and Trent and Krista."

"You forgot one," he smiled.

She slapped his leg, "We are automatic. After all, we _are_ _the _original power couple."

He laughed out loud, catching everyone's attention.

"What's so funny bro?" Jason asked.

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"You know, I just realized something," Kim said.

"What's that Kim?" Angela asked.

"None of us are dating out of our circle," she said.

"What do you mean?" Krista asked.

"Well, think about it," she said, "You three (referring to her, Angela and Caitlin) are the only non rangers here. Hayley doesn't count because she helped with the Dino rangers, so technically she's an honorary ranger."

"Really?" Hayley asked shocked.

"Of course," Connor said, "Even though you weren't on the field, you did a lot for us Hayley."

"Thanks guys," she said.

"No problem, " Trent said, "So Kim, continue what you meant."

"Who here has tried to date someone out of the ranger circle, someone that knew nothing about the rangers?" she asked.

"I have," Aisha, Rocky, Billy, Zack, Jason, Trini and Tommy said.

"And it was hard wasn't?" she said, "Always having to lie to them about where you went, can't have an honest relationship because you can't tell them about being rangers. I bet the relationship didn't last long because they accused you of keeping something from them and when asked to be honest you can't and then they say you don't trust them enough to tell them what it is."

"Yeah, that's exactly it," Tommy said, "Because I remembered when I dated Sarah in college, we broke up after like three weeks."

"Oh yeah I remember her," Jason said, "She was jealous because we would reminisce about high school and being rangers and she couldn't give input because she didn't know what we were talking about. Didn't she at one point accuse you of being in the mob?"

"Yes she did," Tommy laughed, "I was not sad to see her go."

"That's my point," Kim said, though she was smiling, "Dating a civilian was hard because there was always a part of ourselves, a huge part, which we kept from them. I'm sure that no matter how much you girls loved the guys, you probably would have broken things off with them if you had never found out about them being rangers because you would have had trust issues."

"Wow, I never thought of it like that," Caitlin said.

"Well Zack and Angela would have last because Angela had already known about us being rangers in high school," Kim said.

"You knew?" Hayley said.

"Yeah," Angela said, "I had really like Zack and I really wanted to be with him, but our dates kept getting interrupted. At first I thought he was playing me, but then I started paying more attention to him and what he did, and I figured it out."

"How?" Ethan asked.

"Well, whenever we were together, his watch would go off and he would leave," she said, "And then I would here about a monster attack and that the rangers are there. When the monster was destroyed, the rangers would leave and Zack would come back. I was hurt because I didn't think that Zack trusted me enough to tell me."

"But it wasn't that," Zack injected, "It was because we weren't supposed to."

"What do you mean?" Trent asked.

"Well when we became rangers," Billy said, "Zordon gave us three rules and we were to abide them."

"What were they?" Krista asked.

"Never use our powers for personal gain…" Jason started.

"…never escalate a battle…" Trini continued.

"…and never reveal your identity," Kim finished.

"Even if I wanted to tell Angela," Zack said, "I couldn't because it was against the rules and also it wasn't only my secret to tell; it belonged to all of us."

"See Tommy had it easy," Jason said.

"How so?" Trent asked.

"Because he liked Kimberly and she was already a ranger," Zack said, "So he didn't have to worry about running off and leaving his date then to have to make up excuses about why he left in the first place."

"And he could talk to her about everything, including being rangers, because she would understand and wouldn't freak out," Jason said.

"Yeah, but that didn't stop me from being worried about my girlfriend getting hurt," he said.

"And it didn't stop our dates from getting interrupted either," Kim said, "We still had it hard, even harder than you guys."

"How so?" Kira asked.

"We weren't lying when we said that Zedd was obsessed with Kimberly," Aisha said.

"Yeah," Rocky said, "It seemed as if every attack was directed towards Kimberly and Tommy."

"They were singled out more than any other ranger," Adam said, "but I guess that's what happens when the strongest ranger and the heart of the team get together."

Everyone let out a chuckle at that.

"How did you guys meet Kat anyways," Caitlin said, "If you don't mind my asking."

"It's no problem," Kim waved her off, "Rita had kidnapped Kat and placed her under a spell and I was the target. See, Kat had liked Tommy from the moment she saw him and wanted him to be her boyfriend, but there was one problem."

"He was dating you," Kira said.

"Yeah," Kim said, "So while under the spell, she stole my power coin, which caused me to go through a draining. I couldn't fight as good because with my coin in the hands of evil, it was slowly draining not only my powers, but my life source as well."

"And what made it worse was that it was no ordinary power," Billy said.

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

"Well at that time we had our ninjetti powers," Aisha said, "Which gave us a spiritual connection to them; that meant the powers were directly connected to us, to our life force. The only problem was that we need power coins to harness the power and to morph. Our ninja powers were like another representation of ourselves."

"The zords were based off of our spirit animals and when we came back from Phaedos, the powers were connected to power coins so that we could morph," Adam said.

"Anyway," Tommy continued, "Because Kim's powers were another part of her and was connected to her power coin, when it got stolen she became very weak and when Zordon broke her connection to the coin, it was unbearable."

"Because we were ninjetti," Adam said, "Because the six of us were connected through our animal spirits, we felt what she went through. And Zedd made it even worse by kidnapping her and tried to drain her remaining powers."

"We didn't know at the time," Kim said, "But it was Kat. She stole the falcon zord and had Ninjor, a friend of ours, kidnapped, and then she pretended to be in trouble. So while everyone else was downtown fighting, I was the only that could help her, even though I was still very weak. It was all a trap. About five minutes into the fight, I collapsed from exhaustion and the loss of powers. Zedd kidnap me and then started draining my remaining life force."

"Wow," Kira said, "You went through a lot."

"Yes she did," Billy said, "Anyway, despite ours and Zordon's warning, Tommy teleported himself into Zedd's dimension and got Kimberly back. Kat broke out of the spell long enough to get Kim's coin back. And then she broke out of the spell completely when Kim fell of the beam and was the one that called 911 for her. The doctor's said that if Kat wasn't there, and they hadn't got Kim to the hospital in time then she probably would've died."

"And so, with the spell broken and after I got the chance to go to Florida, I chose Kat to be the next pink ranger," Kim said.

"I didn't know that you went through all that," Hayley said, "And yet you're here; you went on to become America's sweetheart by winning the all around gold for gymnastics in the Olympics; you became a successful singer and now you're one of the top designers in the world. You really are stronger than people give you credit for to go through all that and not let it get you down."

"Thanks," she blushed.

"You know I still can't believe that you're a designer," Tanya said.

"I am," Kim smiled, "Those clothes that we wore to the club that night, I designed them."

"Wow," Krista said, "You're really good."

"Thanks," Kim said.

"So that call at the club…" Angela said.

"That was one of the girls at the store in Paris," Kim said, "She was giving me the final inventory and telling me where we stood in the books."

"Why?"

"Because I'm thinking about opening a store here in Angel Grove," Kim said. She then turned to Aisha, "And I was hoping to use your business skills when I do."

"Girl you know you didn't even have to ask," Aisha said, "You know I'll help."

"What about me?" Trini asked.

"But don't you two have jobs?" Jason asked, "Or did you forget that?"

"Aww, who cares," Trini waved his words away, "This is Kim and besides if we help her out and work for her, it makes it easier because we live with her as well."

"And besides," Aisha said, "I was getting a little tired of my job anyways. I was actually going to look for another one but now I don't have to."

"So…you guys are in?" Km asked.

"Yes," Trini and Aisha said, "We're in."

"Good," Kim said, "Now I can run an idea by you guys."

"What's that?" Zack asked.

"Well it's an idea for my new line," Kim said, "Do you remember what I was wearing the night we went to the club?"

"Do we?" Tommy said, "I don't think I'm going to forget that outfit."

The others laughed and Kim blushed.

"Well anyway," Kim said, "Do you remember the design on the jeans?"

"Yeah, it was a frog lounging on a lilly pad and the jacket said, '_Have you seen my Prince?'_ it was pretty cute," Krista said.

"Thanks," Kim said, "It's a part of my new line, which I was thinking of naming the Z Wave."

The group was quiet as they thought on it.

"What's the new line going to be about?" Kira asked.

"Well, my outfit is just the start," Kim said, "The leopard print that Tanya was wearing was based on Trini's sabre-tooth tiger. Most, if not all of the clothes will be based on the rangers, which is why I'm basing the store in Angel Grove and hence the name 'Z Wave'; kind of like a tribute to Zordon and the legacy that brought us all together."

"I think it's a good idea," Tommy said, "And if you need help with fixing up the store, I'm in."

"Thanks Handsome," she said as she kissed his cheek.

"Well sis you know we're here to help as well," Rocky said.

"Thanks guys," she said.

"And…" Krista said, "If you need girls to model your clothes then give me a call."

"Me too," Caitlin said.

"You know you can't do something like this without letting me help," Kira said.

"Looks like you got some employees Kim," Hayley said.

She laughed, "I see that."

"Hey, we didn't get to finish our mini-concert," Rocky said.

"He's right," Jason said, "So why don't we arrange the front room and turn it into a little party."

"Sounds fun," Connor said.

"So get to it then," Kim laughed. And with that, everyone got up to help. Kira went and got her guitar from her room and grabbed Kim's as well. Within ten minutes everyone was back in the front room. Kim went over to the piano and started playing a simple melody. Rocky had gotten up and decided he needed concert food and had gone to the kitchen. So now everyone was waiting for him to come back. When he came, Kim laughed as she saw that his arms were filled with pop and a variety of chips. Everyone settled down and waited for her to play.

"Ok, this song I wrote when Tommy lost his green ranger powers for the last time," she smiled, "It's the first song I ever wrote."

"The one that I helped her with," Zack said, "You know Tommy; you thanked Kimberly but not me."

"I gave Kim a kiss," Tommy said, "I didn't know you wanted one too. How come you never said you swung that way?"

The others laughed at the look on Zack's face.

"No it's not that song," Kim interrupted them, "I had written a song before that but I didn't know how Tommy would react to it, so I asked Zack to help me write a different, though he didn't know that I'd already written one."

"Oh ok," Zack said.

"So let's hear it," Jason said.

"Ok, here goes," she said. She took a deep breath and started singing;

_I'll always remember  
it was late afternoon  
It lasted forever  
And ended so soon  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark gray sky  
I was changed_

(Chorus)  
In places no one will find  
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)  
It was then that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry

(Verse 2)

_It was late in September  
And I'd seen you before  
You were always the cold one  
But I was never that sure  
_

As he listened to the love of his life, Tommy reflected on when they met. He remembered smiling all day long just because he had gotten a date with her. And when he was the green ranger, he remembered of how unsure she was around him especially after she knew that he was the green ranger and how he felt around her after Jason had destroyed the sword of darkness and he had joined the team. He remembered how she saw the good in him, even if he didn't at first. Shaking out of the memory, he turned his attention back to Kim.

_You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark gray sky  
I was changed_

(Chorus)

I wanted to hold you  
I wanted to make it go away  
I wanted to know you  
I wanted to make your everything, alright  
I'll always remember...  
It was late afternoon  
in places no one will find

(Chorus 2xs Out)

The moment I saw you cry  
I wanted to know you

The room was silent. Everyone except Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, and Tommy were in awe at the emotion in the song. The original five rangers let the song wash over them and remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day that Tommy lost his powers was a sad day for all them, and it seemed that even nature had agreed because they remembered it raining that day as well. For Tommy, it captured everything about their relationship from the day they met up until he had lost his green ranger powers. Slowly they started clapping. Kim blinked as if she had forgotten that they were there.

"Wow sis," Zack said.

"How come you never played that song for me?" Tommy asked.

"Because, I didn't want to freak you out by singing how much I loved you or that I saw forever with you," she smiled, "I didn't how you would've reacted to that. Not many guys react well when their teenage girlfriends tell them that they want forever with them."

"I wouldn't have mind," he said, "That was beautiful Kim."

"Yeah girl," Aisha said, "It was amazing."

"Thanks," she blushed.

"Play another one," Ethan said.

"Ok," she said. She paused for a second then smiled as she thought of the song. She then turned to Tanya, "T, I think I'll need help on this one."

Not knowing which song she was talking about, Tanya got up and made her to the piano bench. Kim made room for her and started playing. When she heard the intro, a smile made its way across her face. When the intro was over she sang;

_(Tanya)  
Many nights we prayed  
With no proof anyone could hear  
In our hearts a hope for a song  
We barely understood  
Now we are not afraid  
Although we know there's much to fear  
We were moving mountains  
Long before we knew we could, whoa, yes  
_

_(Chorus—Tanya)  
There can be miracles  
When you believe  
Though hope is frail  
Its hard to kill  
Who knows what miracles  
You can achieve  
When you believe somehow you will  
You will when you believe  
_

_(Mmmmmmmmmyeah--Kim)  
(Mmmyeah—Tanya)  
_

_(Kim)  
In this time of fear  
When prayer so often proves in vain  
Hope seems like the summer bird  
Too swiftly flown away  
Yet now I'm standing here  
My heart so full, I can't explain  
Seeking faith and speaking words  
I never thought I'd say  
_

_(Chorus—Kim)_

_There can be miracles  
When you believe (when you believe-Tanya)  
Though hope is frail  
Its hard to kill (mmm-Tanya)  
Who knows what miracle (Both)  
You can achieve (you can achieve-Tanya)  
When you believe somehow you will  
You will when you believe (Both)  
_

_(Both)_

_They don't always happen when you ask  
And its easy to give in to your fears  
But when you're blinded by your pain  
Cant see the way, get through the rain  
A small but still, resilient voice--Tanya  
Says hope is very near, oh [oh] (Both)  
_

_(Both)_

_There can be miracles (miracles)  
When you believe (boy, when you believe, yeah; though hope is frail—Tanya)  
Though hope is frail [its hard--Kim]  
Its hard to kill (hard to kill, oh, yeah) (Tanya)  
Who knows what miracles (Kim)  
You can achieve (you can achieve, oh--Tanya)  
When you believe somehow you will (somehow, somehow, somehow--Tanya)  
Somehow you will (I know, I know, know--Both)  
You will when you believe [when you--Tanya]  
_

_(Oh oh)  
[You will when you--Kim]  
(You will when you believe--Tanya)  
_

_Just believe (Tanya)  
_

_[Oohoohooh] (Kim)  
[Oh...oh]  
[When you believe] (Tanya)  
[When you believe] (Tanya)_

_You will when you (Kim)_

_Believe (Both)_

"That was awesome you guys," Adam said as he cheered along with the rest.

"Thanks," Kim and Tanya said. Tanya got up and moved back into Adam's arms.

"So…another one?" Kim asked.

"YES!!!" Everyone shouted.

"OK okay," She laughed, "This is another one for Tommy."

"Whoo," The boys said, "Go Tommy."

"I started this during the green ranger days and finished it after Tommy joined the team as the white ranger and leader," Kim shrugged and smiled, "I wrote this because I knew that he was feeling like he wasn't worthy enough to be a ranger, and he didn't think he had it in him to lead the team. I wanted to write down how I felt about that and how I saw him; as a hero, my hero. And that no matter the circumstances in which he came to us, he was always going to be one of us."

_There's a hero  
If you look inside your heart__  
__You don't have to be afraid  
Of what you are  
There's an answer  
If you reach into your soul  
And the sorrow that you know  
Will melt away_

_(Chorus)  
And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive  
So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you_

_(Verse 2)  
It's a long road  
When you face the world alone  
No one reaches out a hand  
For you to hold  
You can find love  
If you search within yourself  
And the emptiness you felt  
Will disappear_

Tommy thought about when he went away to his uncle's cabin to deal with his power loss on his own. He had felt so alone. He had felt really down; but he had spent that time working through it. Even though he had desperately wanted to call Kim, he knew that this was something that he had to do on his own. And in the end he had. He had written Jason a letter to let him know that he didn't blame him at all and had waited until he got back to let Kim know just how much he truly appreciated her and everything she did for him. With her help, he had found the strength to be the leader as the white ranger and he had finally felt confident in his duties as one as well.

_(Chorus)  
And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive  
So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you_

_(Bridge)  
Lord knows  
Dreams are hard to follow  
But don't let anyone  
Tear them away, hey yeah  
Hold on  
There will be tomorrow  
And in time  
You'll find the way_

_(Chorus)  
And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive  
So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you (x2)_

"Wow Beautiful," Tommy said, "I don't know what to say."

"It's alright Tommy," she said, "You don't have to say anything; I already know how you feel."

"Whoa," Zack said, "Déjà vu."

"Uhuh," Billy, Trini and Jason nodded.

"What?" Hayley asked.

"Well that's exactly what they said the first time Kim sang for Tommy," Trini said.

"Ok, I'm going to take a break," Kim said, much to their disappointment, "Kira can sing."

"Alright Kira," Ethan said.

"Sure have me follow that tough act," Kira joked. Kim laughed and went to the kitchen. Tommy got up and followed her, to the sounds of catcall from Rocky and Jason.

"What's going on out—

OOMPH! She was cut off by Tommy's lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his arms went around her waist. She felt his tongue trace her lips and she complied by opening her mouth and granting him access. She heard him moan as his tongue touch hers. He lifted her up and sat her on the counter; her legs opening for him to step closer. She felt his hand on the small of her back, rubbing tiny circles. He broke the kiss and placed his lips on her neck, kissing his way up and down. Kim moaned and tilted her head back to give him easier access. He stepped closer and his erection rubbed directly against her and they both moaned at the contact. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," He whispered back.

"I missed you," she whispered while playing with his hair.

"I missed you too," he said. The words were barely out of his mouth when she kissed him again, hard. He moaned and wrapped his arms around her body. She kissed him hard. She moaned when she felt his hands moving up under the shirt. She broke the kiss and looked down. With breathless anticipation, she watched as his hands moved up to her breast. When he cupped it, she moaned deep in her throat and kissed him again. She moved her hand down his chest, toying with his buttons. Her hand slipped between them, and palmed his erection. He moaned and she broke the kiss, "Tommy…" he kissed her.

"Tommy…" she moaned, "Tommy…we have…we have to stop."

"Why?" he asked as he kissed her again. She kissed him back before stopping,

"Because we're in the kitchen and everyone is out there," she said.

He groaned, "I hate it that you're right."

"I know Handsome," she sighed and then toyed with his hair, "We can continue this later in my room…if you want?"

He kissed her, "Did you have to ask?"

"Ok," she giggled, "I think I'm going to go and uh…change my panties, I suddenly find them very wet and uncomfortable."

"Kim…" he moaned, "You're not making this any easier on me."

"Sorry Handsome," she said before jumping off the counter. She walked away from him, "I'll be back in like five minutes."

"Alright," he said as he watched her walk away. He sighed and leaned back against the counter with his eyes closed. A couple minutes later, the phone went off. He looked around before he spotted it on the table. He walked over and picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hello, who is this?" the person said.

"Tommy," he answered, "Who's this?"

"Tommy, sweetie, how are you?" they said, "It's Caroline, Kim's mom."

"Oh hello Mrs. Dumas," he said, "I'm good, and how are you?"

"I'm fine dear," Caroline said, "So…Tommy, tell me; did my darling daughter finally come to her senses and get off her ass and tell you how she feels?"

"No Mrs. Dumas," he laughed, "It's more like I finally got off my ass and told her how I felt."

"That's good to hear Tommy," She said, "And please don't call me Mrs. Dumas it makes feel old. You call me Mom or Caroline, though I prefer Mom."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Well you are dating my daughter, are you not?"

"Yes."

"And I'm sure that whenever Kimberly goes by your parents," she said, "Melissa insists on Kim calling her mom, she accepts nothing else from her, am I right?"

"Yeah you are," he smiled, "She tried to call her something else, but my mom wouldn't have it."

"Well there you go," she said, a smile evident in her voice, "You make my daughter very happy Tommy. You did in high school, and I have no doubt that you will for years to come; so…that makes you family in my books and I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law, but that's just because I expect no less; I mean I don't expect you to get married right now, but sometime in the future."

"So what you're saying is that," he said, "You're basically giving me your blessing for asking Kim to marry me?"

"Of course dear," she said, "Did you expect any less?"

"No," he laughed, "You're something else Mrs. D…I mean mom."

"Thank you," she laughed, "Now, as much as I'd love to talk with you all day…"

"You want to talk with Kimberly," he answered.

"If you don't mind," she said.

"No not at all," he said, "Hold on let me get her for you."

"Thank you dear," she said.

He turned to go out the kitchen when he saw her coming down the stairs, "Hey."

"Hey," she smiled, "What's up?"

"Mom's on the phone," he said as he held it out to her, "I'll let you two talk."

"Thanks," she took the phone and let him kiss her as he walked out the kitchen.

"See you out there," he said.

"OK," she said before she turned her attention to the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey sweetie," Caroline said.

"Mom?" she asked, shocked.

"But of course," Caroline said, "Who did you think it was?"

"Well it's just that, Tommy said mom was on the phone so I thought that it was his mom," she said.

"Oh no sweetie," Caroline said, "I gave him permission to call me mom; but anyway that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Mom," Kim said, "You sound serious, is everything ok?"

"It's just something that I have to tell you," Caroline said, "And I don't know how to start. I've kept this from you for so long…"

"Mom, you're scaring me," Kim said, "What's going on?"

"Kimberly," she started, "I cheated on your father nineteen years ago."

"WHAT?!" Kim shouted, which unintentionally drew the attention of everyone else.

…

Tommy walked back into the living after he left Kim on the phone. He smiled when he heard Kira singing her song 'Patiently.' He laughed when Connor blushed when she said that the song was originally written about him. He sat down next to Jason and Trini.

"Hey bro," Jason said, "Where's Kim?"

"Talking to her mom," he answered.

"OK."

"Alright, I'm done until Kim gets back," Kira said, "Why don't we play her CD until she comes back?"

"Sure why not?" Aisha said. Kira got up and grabbed it from the shelf where she had placed it. She grabbed the radio and was about to put the CD in when they heard Kim's shout, "WHAT?!"

"What happened? Rocky asked.

"Don't know," Tommy said as he got up, "But I'm going to find out." And with that he and everyone else, made their way into the kitchen. They saw Kim on the phone with her mom still.

"Mom what did you just say?" she asked.

"Kimberly—

"No mom, tell me," she cut her off, "Did you say you cheated on my father?"

"Yes," Caroline said.

The others let out a gasp of shock when they heard the question

"How? Why? Why mom? Why did you do that and why are you just telling me this?"

"Kimberly," Caroline said, tears in her voice, "I didn't know how to tell you. It was over nineteen years ago."

"So what?" Kim said, "I'm your daughter, or did you forget that little detail?"

"Kimberly—

"No mom, you know how I felt when dad cheated on you," Kim said, "You saw how heart broken I was. You know what I went through when I was a kid and as a teen. How could you mom? It was bad enough that he did it, but now you're saying that you did it as well?"

"It wasn't like that," Caroline said.

"Oh no? Then what was it like mom?" she said, "Tell me, because I have no idea."

"I was tired of being hurt emotionally from your father," Caroline said, "We were on a break, a trial separation, and that's when I met him. He was everything you're father wasn't and he made me feel loved again. So we began seeing each other; we started out as friends, but it became so much more."

"So what? You just decided to screw each other?" Kim said spitefully. Everyone looked on in shock, not believing that she was talking to her mother that way.

"Don't you speak to me in that tone of voice," Caroline said, "I'm still your mother."

"I can talk to you in whatever tone I want," Kim said, "How could you do that mom? How could you become just like him?"

"I'm sorry Kimberly," she cried, "I'm sorry I never told you, but I just didn't want you to hurt anymore."

"Well congratulations mom," she said tearfully, "You did hurt me."

"There's more," Caroline said. She looked up when she heard the door open and she saw Pierre walk over to her. When he saw the tears running down her face, he guessed what was happening. He mouthed, '_Kimberly?' _she nodded and turned back to the phone. He sat down next to her and rubbed her arms.

"What else is there?" Kim asked.

"Not only did we see each other, but I got pregnant as well," Caroline said.

"You're kidding?" Kim said, "Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not kidding," Caroline said.

"Tell me the truth mom," Kim said, "Now."

"I don't think I should tell you this over the phone," she said.

"Well that's too bad," Kim said, "You already started it, now I want the truth mom, the whole truth."

"Kimberly—

"No mom, I mean it," Kim said, "You lied to me for nineteen years, don't lie anymore. Tell me what I want to know."

"Ok," she sighed, "When I got pregnant, I was scared. I didn't know what to do, but I knew that I couldn't have an abortion; I didn't believe in it. So I decided to keep the baby."

"What about the guy?" Kim asked, "Did he want the baby?"

"Yes he did," she said, "He was actually excited about being a father. Ken was out of town a lot, so it wasn't that hard to keep it from him. I was six months pregnant when he came home and found out. He was angry. He wanted me to have an abortion, but I couldn't; besides I was already too far along. So he went to the wife of the guy I was seeing. She came to visit me in March."

"March?" Kim said as a memory teased her, "Wait that was after my eighth birthday wasn't it?"

"Yes it was," she answered.

"So the lady that came over that day when you sent me to my room," Kim said, "That was his wife?"

"Yes it was."

"Then what happened?"

"We talked and she told me that I had to give the babies over to her or I would lose you."

"Wait, babies?" Kim said shocked, "There was more than one?"

"Yes, I was pregnant with twins," Caroline answered.

"So I have twin baby brothers?"

"Yes," Caroline said, "Anyway, after I gave birth, Ken told me that I was to give up the twins and to never have any contact with them again or he would make sure that I lose you. I couldn't lose you Kimberly and I knew that the boys would be okay with their father, so I made the choice to give them up. And I haven't had any contact with either the boys or their dad. Until…"

"Until what mom?"

"Until the end of summer two years ago, when you came to visit."

"Two years ago?" Kim asked, her brow furrowed, "But you didn't meet anyone. The only person was…" she trailed off and looked around the room before resting her gaze on Connor, "No…"

"Yes Kimberly," Caroline said, "Two years ago you came to our place and introduced us to someone. You introduced us to Connor. At the time I didn't know, but after we got to know him a little better, I started asking him questions and then I realized that…that he was my son and your little brother."

"No."

"Yes," Caroline said, "Connor Jayden McKnight, son of Jordan McKnight and twin brother of Eric Jordan McKnight, is your younger brother; your younger half-brother."

"I don't believe it," Kim said softly.

"Kim? Beautiful, are you ok?" Tommy said as he rubbed his hands up and down her arm.

"Mom, you said…you said two years ago," Kim said, "Which mean that you knew and you didn't tell me. Didn't you think that then was the right time to tell me that?"

"Kimberly, please you have to understand," she pleaded with her daughter.

"No, I don't have to understand anything," Kim said angrily, "The only thing I understand is that you cheated and you lied to me. You have two other kids, and you never told me. Nineteen years you kept this from me and now you expect me to understand? Well I'm sorry but I don't."

"I'm sorry I never told you sooner," Caroline said.

"Well sorry doesn't cut it," Kim said, "You know how I feel about betrayal. You saw how I was when my father confessed everything that he did and now you're saying that you did the same thing."

"Kim…"

"You're just like him," Kim said, "And right now, I have nothing more to say to you."

"Kim? Kimberly?" Caroline stared at the phone for a few seconds before seeking comfort in her husband's arms, "She hates me, I knew it. I should've have told her sooner."

"Carrie…" Pierre trailed off as he looked at her. He couldn't say anything so he just held her.

…

"Kim?" Tommy said. She stared at the phone before letting out a sob and moving into his arms.

"How could she do this to me Tommy?" she cried, "How could she do something like this to me?"

"Do what Kim?" Trini asked as she moved to stand next to her, Aisha and Jason following her move. "What happened?"

"My mom, she…she told me that she cheated on my dad," she cried.

"We got that sis," Jason said, "What else did she say?"

"She told me that I have two brothers," She said, "Two brothers!" she moved from Tommy's arms and started to pace.

"Kim?" Connor said.

"I HAVE TWO FUCKING BROTHERS AND MY OWN MOTHER NEVER THOUGHT TO TELL ME!" She yelled, "Nineteen years, nineteen years. That's how long she kept it from me, and she never once told me."

"Sweetie, maybe she didn't know how," Aisha said.

"She still should've," Kim said, "She saw how I was when my dad left us, and when I found out why he left us, and she turned out and did the same thing."

"Kim," Tommy said, "Why are you really angry with your mom?"

"I'm angry because she lied to me Tommy," Kim said, "What else could I be angry about?"

"You tell me?"

She was silent as she looked at him. Finally the anger left her eyes and tears and sadness replaced them, "I'm angry because I have two brothers that I've never met, and that my mother betrayed me, just like my dad. She promised she would never hurt me the way he did, but I'm still hurt."

"Come here," Tommy said as he opened his arms. She moved back into them and let him wrap his arms around her. "It's going to be okay beautiful. Just cool down and then talk to your mom later, ok? Let her fully explain everything when you're not too angry at her."

"Ok," she sniffled, "But I'm still angry."

"I have no doubt," he chuckled, "Let's just go relax and then you can call your mom back."

"Ok."

"Come on guys," Tommy said as he led Kim back to the back porch, "Let's go sit outside."

The others followed, wanting to know exactly what happened, but willing to wait until Kim was ready to tell.

_In Paris_

"Caroline, she doesn't hate you," Pierre said, "She's just hurt and angry. She thought that you kept nothing from her and maybe she felt blindsided."

"No, you didn't hear her voice, or what she said," She cried, "She said that I was just like him, and she was right."

"Carrie…"

"No Pierre, that hurt," she cut him off, "I know how much damage her father's actions did to her; and I did the same thing."

"No you didn't," Pierre said, "Ma Cherie, Kim's just hurt and she's lashing out, don't let it put you down. Just give her a day or two and then call her back."

"No I can't," she said. She looked around the room for a few seconds before getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"Out," she said, "I need some air. I need to take a walk and clear my head."

"But it's raining outside," he said as he watched her put her shoes and coat on.

"I don't care," she replied, "I need to think about the damage that I did to my daughter." And with that she walked out the door. He waited a few minutes before grabbing his coat and following her, "Caroline, Caroline wait."

She walked faster when she heard his voice. She flung open the gate and walked out. She kept her head down, tears clouding her vision, the rain falling around her as she started walking. She looked up for a second to cross to make sure the street was clear before she crossed it. She was so into her thoughts on Kimberly and the boys that she didn't see the car coming towards her.

Pierre reached the street and saw his wife start to cross. He looked up and saw a car heading straight for her. Her head was down, so he knew she didn't see it. He started running but knew that he wouldn't reach in time so he shouted, "CAROLINE LOOK OUT!"

She looked back at him when she heard voice and then looked up. She gasped and froze when she saw the car coming. In the next instant, she felt incredible pain go through her body when the car hit her. She was unconscious before her body hit the pavement.

Pierre watched as his wife got struck by the car. He saw her land a few feet away with a sickening thud and knew that it was bad. He was barely aware of how he got across the street, but the next thing he knew, he was kneeling over her body trying to find a pulse, "You're going to be ok sweetie, just hold on," he looked up, "AU SECOURS! AU SECOURS!" _(HELP! HELP!) _

"Just hold on," he cried. Within minutes, a cruiser was on the scene, five minutes later, the ambulance showed. They loaded her on the bus, with Pierre following them, holding her hand.

"We're losing her!"

"Her heart rate's dropping and fast!"

"What's happening to my wife?" he asked, only to be ignored.

"BP's dropping as well."

­_beep…beep…beep…beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_

**A/N: I'm mean aren't I? Leaving you with a cliffhanger; next chapter brings the appearance of Eric and the ninja storm team. So read and review and tell me what you think**

**A/N 2: I'm going to do a one shot which will explain how the gang came to know about Kim being top designer Annabelle; so look out for it.**

_Songs: _Cry—_Mandy Moore; _When you Believe—_Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston; _Hero—_Mariah Carey_


	19. More Rangers and She's What?

**A/N: hey guys. I'm back with a new chapter. Sorry about the wait. But it's here and I hope that you guys enjoy it. To all my faithful reviewers, I really am sorry about the wait and I do hope that no one has lost interest as yet. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: as usual I own nothing**

Chapter Nineteen: More Rangers and She's what?

_Last time:_

"_We're losing her!"_

"_Her heart rate's dropping and fast."_

"_What's happening to my wife?" he asked, only to be ignored._

"_BP's dropping as well."_

_Beep…beep…beeeeeeeep_

…..

Kim stood on the steps of her back porch and watched the others. Kira and the rest of the DT gang were fooling around in the yard. She leaned back against Tommy and sighed. She looked out and noticed that Rocky and Adam had joined the kids, while the rest were lounging around the porch. She looked back and saw Billy and Hayley on the swing talking. Hayley had a smile on her face and Billy had his arm around the back of the swing so it almost seemed like Hayley was in his arms. She smiled softly and looked back out at the kids. Inevitably, her gaze fell on Connor. _**'My younger brother, he's my younger brother. I don't know why I didn't see it before.' **_ She sighed, _**'I shouldn't have gone off on my mom like that. I mean, she did sound like she didn't have any choice…but it still hurts.' **_ Her eyes took in Connor's features and it was as if a blinder had been moved. She now saw the familiarity of his doe-brown eyes, his caramel colored hair, which seemed to darken after spending a lot of time in the sun, while hers would take on a lighter color. His smile was so engaging, and while it wasn't close to hers or her…rather their mom's, she could tell that it was his dad's smile. _**'I can't really be mad at my mom, because I still spent time with my brother, even though I didn't know that he was. Now all that's left is to meet the other one. And from the way Connor talked about him, he seems pretty cool and they are opposites.' **_ She sighed again, _**'How do I tell Connor that I'm his sister?'**_

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tommy asked.

"You have the key to Fort Knox ready?" she joked.

He laughed, "No, but I do have an impressive basement that can rival it." She laughed. He nudged her, "Come on Kim, tell me what's on your mind."

"It's about what my mom said," She sighed, "Not the cheating, but something else."

"What is it?" Trini asked from her position in Jason's arms.

Kim looked at them and wondered how she should approach the subject. She opened her mouth to try and tell them when a sharp pain in her chest caused her to gasp out loud. Over with the others, Connor gasped as well.

_(Same time Blue Bay Harbor)_

Eric was sitting around Storm Chasers with his friends when he too gasped out loud at the sharp pain in his chest.

"Eric what's wrong?" his girlfriend Sally asked.

"I don't know," he replied, "I think I'm going to call Connor."

"Your brother?" Tori asked.

"Yeah"

"Why?" Blake asked, "Do you think something happened to him?"

"I don't know," he replied, "But I'll call him just to be sure." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Connor's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Connor?" he said, "It's Eric."

_(Back in AG)_

"Kim, are you ok?" Tommy asked.

"What the hell just happened?" Jason asked.

"I'm fine," Kim said, "And I don't know what happened either." She looked towards Connor and the others and noticed that they were heading towards them.

"What's wrong guys?" Tommy asked.

"We don't know," Trent answered.

"We were playing around when Connor gasped like he was in pain," Krista said.

"Connor, what happened?" Aisha asked.

"I don't know," he said, "I just felt really weird for a second."

"Weird how?" Jason asked.

"I don't know, but I feel as if I should call Eric." The words had no sooner left his mouth when his cell phone rang, "Hello?"

"_Connor?" he said, "It's Eric."_

"I was just about to call you," he said.

"_Really; why?"_

"I don't know, but I felt that I should," Connor said, "Why did you call me?"

"_Well I had this really weird pain and for some reason I wanted to make sure you were ok."_

"Was it like a sharp pain in your chest?" Connor asked as he closed his eyes.

"_Yeah, how did you know?"_

"Because I felt the same thing as well."

"_Where are you Connor?"_

"I'm in Angel Grove, with Dr. O and the others," he said, "Why?"

"_Why are you guys in Angel Grove anyways?"_

"We're having a get together with the original rangers."

"_Ok. We'll be there in 40 minutes."_

"Who's we?"

"_The Ninja Storm team," he replied, "Would it be ok with Tommy?"_

"Sure, why not," Connor replied, "When you get here look for a place called Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar, it's the local youth center and call me so that I can come get you."

"_Ok," Eric replied, "Talk to you later."_

"Later," Connor said, before he hung up and turned back to the others.

"What did Eric want?" Kira asked.

"He felt the same pain that I did," he said, "And he had this urge to check on me."

"So the both of you felt the same pain as Kim did?" Zack said.

All eyes turned to Kim.

"You felt the same thing?" Ethan asked.

"Yes."

"Whoa," Ethan said, "Freakily weird."

_(Paris; the conversation is in French)_

Beeeeeeeeeeeep.

"What's happening?" Pierre asked.

"Charge to 400 joules."

"Charging."

"Clear." (SHOCK)

Beeeeeeeeeep.

"Still not responding," the make paramedic said, "Charge to 500."

"Charging," the female replied.

"Clear." (SHOCK)

Beep….beep….beep

"We got her back," the male said. The ambulance rolled to a stop outside the emergency doors.

"Come on let's go."

Pierre rushed through the hospital after the two. Within minutes, Caroline was being pushed through the surgery doors with about three or four doctors after her. Pierre dropped into one of chairs, his head in his hands. He couldn't believe what was happening. _**'Oh God Carrie, you can't leave me. You have to be ok, you just have to. I don't know what I'm going to do without.' **_He sighed, _**'She was so upset over keeping this from Kim...' **_"Oh God Kimberly, I have to call her."

_(Back in AG)_

"You know, it really is weird that all three of you felt the same thing," Trent said.

"I know," Zack said.

"Hey sis," Jason called.

"Yeah?"

"What were you going to tell us?"

Kim looked up at him before bringing her gaze back to the others. Her eyes fell on Connor as she thought once again about what her mom had told her earlier, _**'My brother, I still can't wrap my head around it. Connor is my brother. So how do I tell him?' **_

"It's really big," she sighed, "And I don't know how exactly to even begin to tell you guys."

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad," Connor said as he stepped in front of her, "Can it?"

"That depends," she gave a small smile.

Connor grabbed her hands, "Kim, we've known each other about two years now. We know every embarrassing story about each other; whatever it is can't be so horrible that you wouldn't tell us. We're here and we will still be here when you tell us. We're friends, so let us help you."

Kim looked into his eyes and she saw herself. She really was terrified of how he would react, but she knew he was right. She raised a hand brushed his cheek, "Ok, I'll tell you."

"What is it Beautiful?" Tommy said.

"My mom told me—

BRRRING!!!

"Oh for the love of God," Zack said.

"I'll get it," Aisha laughed. The others laughed and watched as Aisha walked into the house.

"Let's wait 'till she gets back because I don't want to tell this twice."

"OK," Kira said.

"Hello?" Aisha said.

"Hello, is Kimberly around?" Pierre said, trying to hold in the tears, "I need to talk to her."

"Mr. Dumas is everything ok, you sound upset," Aisha asked once she recognized his voice.

"No," he said, "And I don't know if it will be."

"Did something happen?" Aisha asked; fear running through her at his words.

"Yes," he said, "It's about her mom."

"Oh no," Aisha said, tears filling her eyes, "Hold on, I'll get Kimberly."

Aisha walked back out to the others with tears in her eyes.

"Sha, what's wrong?" Rocky asked, as he was the first one to see her. Everyone else looked up and moved towards the girl.

"Sha?" Kim said, "What is it?"

"Kim," she said, "Your dad's on the phone." She held out the phone towards her. Kim looked at the phone and then looked back at Aisha. She shook her head and tried to step back but walked into Tommy. She closed her eyes to stop the tears. She just knew that it was bad news on the other end, but how bad she didn't know. She opened her eyes and with shaky hands took the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kimberly, c'est papa."

"Qu'est qu'il ya papa?" Kim asked, "Why are you crying? Is everything ok?"

"Cherie, it's about your mom…"

"What about her?"

"Kim, there was an accident…"

"NO!" Kim screamed. Tommy took a step forward and rubbed her arms, "You're lying...you're lying."

"Kim sweetie," he said, tears running down his cheeks, "I'm not lying, you're mom was in an accident."

"No, I don't believe it," she cried. The phone fell from her hands as she turned and buried her face in Tommy's chest.

"Kim, what's wrong Beautiful?"

"Make it go away Tommy," she cried, "Make him take it back."

"Take what back Kim?" Jason asked.

Tommy bent and picked up the phone, his arm still wrapped around his crying girlfriend, "Hello?"

"Is this Tommy?" Pierre asked.

"Yes," Tommy said, "What's happened Mr. Dumas? Why is Kim crying?"

"Caroline was in an accident," Pierre said, "We just got to the hospital."

"No," Tommy said closing his eyes, his arm tightening around Kim.

"I'm afraid it's true," Pierre said, "I know that Kim is upset and she will no doubt blame herself because of the fight she and her mom had earlier, so I'm going to send my private plane to get you guys."

"Well there's a good amount of us," Tommy said.

"No problem," Pierre answered, "The plane seats 40. It should arrive there at 4:30 p.m., so you guys should be there by that time. It will leave at around five o'clock."

"Ok, we'll be ready."

"Tommy I've got to go, the doctor's coming," Pierre said, "Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Look after my little girl and don't let her blame herself."

"Ok, see you later," Tommy said.

"Bye."

"Tommy, what happened?" Rocky asked.

"Kim's mom was in an accident."

"No," Trini said, "Is she ok?"

"Pierre doesn't know yet," he replied, "He said that he's sending a plane for us, so if all of you are coming, then I suggest that you go and pack a bag."

"Of course we're coming Dr. O," Kira said, "Let's go guys."

"Wait," Connor said, "What about Eric and the Ninja Storm team?"

"Call Eric back and let him know what's up," Tommy said, "If they want to come, let them know that we're leaving at five."

"Ok," Connor said before he walked off, already dialing his brother's number. Everyone else went to their rooms to pack; their heart going out to their friend and their prayers with her mother.

_(With Connor and the other RG)_

"Hello, Eric?"

"_Yeah Con?" Eric answered, "What's up?"_

"How far are you guys from Angel Grove?"

"_About 20 minutes away, why?"_

"We're getting ready to go to Paris."

"_Paris? Hwy?"_

"Because Kimberly's mom was in an accident and we're all going to support her," Connor said, "And Dr. O told me to ask if you guys wanted to come."

"_Kim's the original pink right?" Eric asked, "Then of course we'll come."_

"OK, but if you guys don't have extra clothes, then you should probably go back and pack."

"_But what about the plane?"_

"Don't worry; the plane won't be here until 4:30 so you have time."

"_Alright bro, see you in an hour," Eric said, "Later."_

"Later," Connor replied. He hung up and turned to the others. "They're coming."

"Ok," Kira said, "Come on, let's finish packing.

_(In BBH)_

"Eric?" Sally called, "Is everything ok."

"No," Eric replied, "That was Connor; he said that they're going to Paris this afternoon because the original pink ranger's mom was in a car accident. He wanted to know if we wanted to go, so I said yes."

"Aunt Carrie was in an accident?" Kelly sat up straighter.

"Aunt Carrie?" Shane asked his girlfriend.

"Yes," she said, "Kim's my cousin."

"Wait," Cam said, "Kimberly Hart, the original pink ranger is your cousin?"

"Yes, my dad is her uncle and Aunt Caroline's brother."

"So what do we do?" Tori asked, as they were in her van, "Do we keep going? I mean, we are going right?"

"Of course we're going," Hunter said, "She's a fellow ranger and Kelly's cousin; she's family."

"Ok then," Eric said, "Connor said it's best that we have extra clothes, so we have to go back to town."

"Won't we be late?" Dustin asked.

"No, he said that the plane doesn't get there until 4:30, so we're good."

"Ok, everybody hold on." That was their only warning as Tori gave a sharp turn around. By the time the van was right, almost everyone was hanging over each other.

"Damn Tori," Marah said, "Are you trying to mess up my hair?"

"Whatever Marah," Blake rolled his eyes. Before they knew it, the van was pulling into the parking lot of Kelly's shop. When everyone jumped out, Tori was surprised to see her sister, "Taylor? What are you doing here?"

"I came up to see my baby sister and to spend some time with her," Taylor said as they hugged.

"Well our time is going to be cut short," Tori replied.

"Why do you say that?" Eric said as he stepped up to Taylor.

"Hey Eric," Tori called out to her sister's boyfriend.

"IS everybody here then?" Cam asked, referring to the rest of the Wild Force team and the two other Time Force members.

"Yeah, we're here," Cole said as the rest of walked up.

"What's going on? Danny asked.

"Kim's mom was in an accident and we're heading over to Angel Grove to meet up with the original rangers," Dustin said.

"What?"

"Kim? As in the original pink ranger? As in Jason Lee Scott's little sister?" Max asked.

"Yep that's her," Kelly said.

"What happened?" Alyssa asked.

"We don't know," Sally said, "But Connor, Eric's brother, called and told us, and he asked if he wanted to go then we should pack some clothes and be in Angel Grove by 3 p.m."

"We were already on our way when we got the call," Shane said.

"Can we come with?" Jen asked, "Just to offer support to them."

"Let me call Connor and see what he says," Eric said, "Do you guys need to go back for clothes?"

"No," Taylor said, "We were planning on spending a week or so with you guys, so…"

"Ok."

They talked amongst themselves as Eric called his brother, "Hey Connor."

"_Hey Eric," Connor said, "What's up?"_

"Well, Tori's sister Taylor just showed up along with about seven other people," Eric said, "And they wanted to come."

"_Isn't Taylor on the Wild Force team?" Connor asked, remembering the name from a few years ago when he was still a ranger._

"Yes she is," Eric said, "So do you think Tommy will mind?"

"_Let me ask him," Connor said, "Hold on."_

_(In AG)_

Connor walked out the room and went down to Kim's. When he got there, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard Tommy call out, "Oh hey Connor, what's up?"

"Eric just called, he said that they want to come to support Kim," Connor said.

"That's fine," Tommy said.

"He also said that the Wild Force team wants to come as well."

"Wild Force? What are they doing in Blue Bay Harbor?"

"Tori's sister Taylor wanted to spend time with her," Connor said.

"Which means, that Eric, Wes and Jen are there as well?"

"Yeah," Connor said.

"I suppose that they want to come too?"

"Yeah"

"Ok," Tommy said, "The more the merrier."

"Alright, I'll let him know."

"Ok Connor," Tommy said, "I'm going to take a shower, and you guys probably should as well. It's already 12 p.m., so check and see if anybody wants to make lunch."

"I can make it," Connor said, "Just worry about Kim."

"OK."

"Later Dr. O," Connor turned and walked out to tell his brother the news.

"What did Dr O say?" Ethan asked.

"He said it was ok," Connor said before picking his phone back up, "Eric?"

"_I'm still here," he said, "So what did Tommy say?"_

"It's cool," Connor replied, "Everyone's welcome to come."

"_Will the plane seat all of us?"_

"Yeah, it's a private plane that seats 40, so it can hold all of us."

"_Alright bro," Eric said, "Do you still want to meet us at the youth center?"_

"Yeah, then we can all leave for the airport together."

"_Alright, see you then."_

"Later." They both hung up and Connor turned back to the others, "Dr O said that we should probably take a shower and get something to eat."

"Ok, Connor and I will make lunch and you guys use the showers," Kira said. And with that, everyone walked off. Twenty minutes later, Kira and Connor were done with lunch and everyone, except for Kim and Tommy walked into the kitchen. Having already eaten, Connor and Kira went up to take a shower themselves and to finish getting ready. A few minutes later, Kim walked into the kitchen followed closely by Tommy. She had tried to tell him that she wasn't hungry, but he managed to convince her to at least eat something light. She stopped by the table and Trini and Aisha moved to her side.

"How are you holding up? Angela asked, from her place at Zack's side.

Kim lifted her eyes, and they could all see the tears building up, her lip quivered as she answered, "I keep thinking about what I said to her…what if…what if that's the last thing I said to my mother?"

"You can't think like that Kim," Kira said as she and Connor stepped into the kitchen, "You have to believe that everything's going to be ok. And I'm sure that you're mom is not angry at you."

"Kira's right," Jason said, "Your mom will understand and she will make it through this; after all, you are her daughter and you're one of the strongest people I know."

Kim wiped her tears and tried to give them a smile, but it came out a little watery. Still, everyone appreciated the effort, "Thanks guys, I really appreciate it."

"No problem Kim," Trini said as she hugged her, "We don't mind."

"Is everybody ready?" Tommy asked. Nods were the confirmation given from everyone present. Kim looked confused and turned to Tommy, "Ready for what? It's still early."

"We know, but we have to go to the youth center," Trent said.

"Why?"

"Because my brother is coming up and he has company," Connor said.

"Like who?" Jason asked.

"I told Eric about what happened and the ninja rangers said that they wanted to come to support you," he said, "But then Eric called back and told me that Tori's sister Taylor and the rest of the Wild Force teamed showed up for a mini vacation and when they told them where they were going, they wanted to come and show their support as well."

"Wait," Billy said, "Are you saying that the Wild Force and Time Force teams along with Ninja Storm are coming along?"

"Yes."

"But I thought that the Time Force team went back to the future?" Hayley said.

"They did," Tommy said, "But Jen decided to stay back with Wes; but for them to do that, they had to wipe her memory of all future knowledge with the exception of her being a ranger and that she did come from the future."

"So she risked time to stay with the man she loved?" Krista asked.

"Yeah she did," Jason said, "So Wes, Jen and Eric, along with the Wild Force and Ninja Storm teams are coming with us?"

"Yeah, well if it's ok with you guys?"Connor said.

"No problem," Adam said, but then he turned his attention to Kim, "Kim, is it ok for them to be there?"

"Connor, you're sure they want to come?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Ok, then," she said, "Let's go." They each took the task of making sure the house was locked up before they left. As they got outside, they looked at the cars and wondered who would drive.

"How about we just switch Connor with Tommy?" Tanya said, "Connor can drive Tommy's jeep and Tommy will drive Kim's car with her, Trini, Aisha and Jason; and everyone can go back to the cars they came from the club in?"

"Sure, that sounds fine," Tommy said. Connor gave him the keys to Kim's car and took Tommy's keys from him. Everyone got into their respective vehicles and made their way to the youth center. About twenty minutes later, the cars pulled up in the parking lot. Everyone, except for the ones in Kim's, car got out.

"Kim, are you ok?" Aisha asked.

"I don't know yet," she said, "I think it's just really starting to sink in, you know?"

"Yeah, we do," Jason said, "But it will be ok sis. You'll get through this and we'll help you."

"Jason's right Kim," Trini said, "We're not going anywhere. And with the other teams coming, you have one hell of a support team."

"Thanks guys," she smiled, "I really do appreciate it, but I don't how I'm going to feel or what I'm going to feel until I see my mom."

"We understand Beautiful," Tommy said, "But please, no matter what don't shut us out."

"I'll try not too," she said. She took a deep breath, "Well let's go."

They all walked into the youth center and were happy to see that it wasn't as crowded as it usually is. They gathered around their usual table, this time adding two more to accommodate everyone. Tommy wrapped his arm around Kim's shoulder as she leaned into him. The group talked silently among each other, waiting for the others to arrive. Ernie came from the back and was pleased yet not surprised to see the group. As he drew near the tables, he saw the tears in Kim's eyes and wondered at it, "Hey guys."

"Hey Ernie," Zack said.

"Hey," the others chorused.

"Kim, are you ok?" he asked.

"Her mom got into an accident," Trini said, "So we're waiting on some friends before we catch a plane to Paris."

"I'm so sorry to hear that Kimberly."

"Thanks Ernie."

"So," he said, "Who are the rest of you?"

"Oh sorry," Tommy said, "Ernie, these are some former students of mine. This is Connor, Kira, Ethan, Trent, Caitlin and Krista."

"Hey," the teens answered.

"And this is Hayley," Tommy said, "I met her in college."

"Nice to meet you guys," he said, "It's good to see you guys spending time together still. I guess being apart of the same group brought you all closer."

Looks of confusion were present on everyone's faces save for Kim.

"What are you talking about Ernie?" Rocky asked.

"Oh you know," he said, "the legacy that brought you all together. Thanks by the way. The town, much less, the world wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys."

"You're talking crazy Ernie," Adam laughed nervously, along with the others, "We didn't do anything."

The others nodded in agreement and Kim shook her head. She moved from her seat and walked around to stand in front of him. She gave him a hug and said, "You didn't have to say that, but you're welcome anyways."

The others looked shocked. "Kim, what are you doing?" Tanya hissed.

"I know guys," Ernie said after he released Kimberly.

"Know what?" Connor asked.

"About what you used to be."

"And what did we used to be?" Kira asked.

"Rangers," he said, to their shock.

"How?" Aisha whispered.

"You forget, you guys spent most of you time here," he said, "And with the colors that you wore, which coincided with the ranger colors was a dead giveaway. Add that to the fact that you always left the moment a monster appeared downtown, well, it was easy to figure out."

"How long have you known?"

"Since Tommy first joined the team in green."

"That long?" Billy said, "Well, then why did you never reveal what you knew?"

"Because it wasn't my secret to tell," he said, "And I figured that if you wanted others to know, then you would've have told."

"Wow," Rocky said, "I never would've thought that you knew."

"Thanks for keeping it a secret," Jason said.

"It was nothing guys," he said, "Well, I've got to get back. Kim, I hope you're mom is ok."

"Thanks Ernie." He bid them goodbye and turned to go back to the kitchen. Kim took her spot back at Tommy's side and they all relaxed as they waited for the others to get there. Before they knew it, it was after one. Rocky and Adam had taken up to sparring in the corner and was finishing up when a group of people walked into the center. Connor looked up and saw his brother and stood to meet him. He barely had his mouth open when a voice was heard shouting, "KIMBERLY."

Kim looked up and saw her cousin coming towards her, "Kelly?"

She stood up just in time to be caught up in a hug. Kelly wrapped her arms tight around her, "I heard about Aunt Carrie and I couldn't not come."

"Thanks Kels," Kim whispered.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Not good," Kim replied. She turned and looked at Tommy before bringing her gaze back, "But everyone is helping."

"And we're here to help to," Eric said.

"Thanks…" Kim trailed off. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."

"It's ok," he replied, "I'm Eric Meyers, the Time Force Quantum Ranger."

"Well thanks Eric."

"No problem," he said.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Jen said, "I'm Jen Scotts, the pink Time Force ranger. I'm so sorry to hear about your mom, but we're here to offer our support."

"Thanks Jen," Kim said.

"How about I just introduce everyone?" Tommy said. When everyone nodded their heads, he continued, "Kim, this is Wesley Collins, the red Time Force ranger; Taylor Earnhardt, the yellow Wild Force ranger; Danny Delgado, Wild Force black; Max, Wild Force blue; Alyssa Enrile, Wild Force white; Cole Evans, Wild Force red…"

Kim shook the guys' hands, and the girls hugged her. When she stepped back from shaking Cole's hand, Tommy continued, "This is the Ninja Storm team; we have Shane Clark red; Tori Hanson blue, and Taylor's little sister; Dustin Brooks yellow; Cam Watannabe green; Hunter Bradley crimson and his younger brother, Blake Bradley navy."

"Then we have Marah, Sally and my brother Eric," Connor said.

Again Kim shook the guys hand and the girls hugged her. Even Marah seemed to be more mature than she usually was. When she got to Eric, her breath caught in her throat as she realized that she was finally meeting her other brother. She looked at him in silence before shifting her gaze to Connor and back. Everyone watched in confusion, silently wondering why she focused on Eric, but some came to the conclusion that she was shocked because they were identical, whereas the others, like Tommy, Trini, Aisha, Jason, Kira and Connor, were silently wondering if her reaction had anything to do with what she was going to tell them earlier.

"You're identical," she whispered, "But, I can still tell you apart."

"How?" Dustin asked.

"Dustin, there wearing different clothes and she just saw him come in," Shane said.

"Oh," he sheepishly replied.

"No," Kim shook her head, "It's not that. Just by looking at him, looking in his eyes, I can tell he's not Connor."

"How? They have the same eye color," Hunter said.

"Guys, it'll make your head hurt less of you don't question it," Adam said.

"Yeah," Zack said, "Trust her, if she says she can tell the difference, then she can."

"Can you prove it?" Sally asked.

Kim was jerked out of thoughts by Sally's question, "What?"

"Can you prove that you can tell them apart?" she repeated.

"Why not?"

Connor and Eric went to the locker room to switch clothes, or rather, Connor switched out his yellow and red shirt for an all red shirt, identical to the one Eric was wearing. They waited about ten minutes, before they came back out. The others looked on, and tried to tell the difference between the twins, but couldn't. Not even Sally, who was Eric's girlfriend, could tell them apart. As they came to a stop in front of Kim, she looked at both of their clothes before looking into their eyes. It took about three minutes before she gave a tiny smile and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around one of them and said, "I can't believe after all this time that you think I wouldn't know you Ceej."

He wrapped his arms around her and said, "I never doubted you for a second Belle, but they needed proof."

Everyone except for the original team looked on in shock; they couldn't believe that she had told the difference between the two.

"Wait?" Dustin said, "Eric?"

The twin that Kim wasn't holding raised his hand and smiled, "Yeah?"

"How the hell did she know?" Shane asked. He looked at the other rangers and saw that only the original rangers weren't shocked, "Can you guys tell them apart as well?"

"No," Jason said.

"But then," Blake said, "Why aren't you surprised that she can and how can she?"

"Like Zach and I said earlier," Adam said, "If she said she could tell the difference then don't question her."

"We accepted a long time ago that Kim knows things that we would miss," Rocky said.

"It's not that we're not shocked," Aisha said.

"But rather," Trini continued, "We're used to Kim doing things like this. Like Rocky said, we accepted that she saw things that we don't."

"And it helps that Connor and Kim lived together for almost two years," Kira said.

"Wait, what?" Taylor asked, "You guys lived together?"

"When?" Eric, Connor's brother asked.

"My soccer tour in Europe, I lived with Kim for almost all of it," Connor said.

"It's a little confusing talking to two Eric," Kim said, "I had that problem with Angela and Cait and I don't want to go through that again, so I think I'll call you (referring to Connor's brother) Jordan. If that's ok with you?"

"Sure no problem," he replied, "But how do you know my middle name?"

Kim didn't answer, as her mind drifted back to the conversation with her mom. When it did, tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered what happened after that. She turned to go back to Tommy, but found that she didn't go far as he had already moved to stand behind her when he saw her freeze at Eric's question. When she turned and he saw the tears in her eyes, he knew that she was thinking about her mom. Suspicions arose as he thought on the question that Jordan had asked and Kim's reaction. He somehow knew that whatever Kim's mom had told her, had to do with her knowing Eric's middle name. Even as that thought flitted through his head, another popped up, _**'No, it can't be. But it's the only thing that makes sense. Could it really be true? Is that what her mom told her?'**_

But Tommy wasn't the only one having revelations. Billy looked from Kim, to Connor, to Eric and back again. He had heard him ask how Kim knew his name and he was wondering himself. However, both of them decided to put the thought out of their heads for another time. Kelly moved from Shane's arms and stood in front of her cousin.

"Everything's going to be ok Kim," she said as she rubbed her back, "You'll see."

"So what do we do in the mean time?" Danny asked. The others shrugged. Within minutes, Rocky and Adam had gotten up to spar on the corner mats, as did Zack and Jason, the girls were sitting around Kim, who was still leaning on Tommy, and the rest of the guys were walking around. The guys from Blue Bay Harbor and the Reefside gang were sitting together, still talking about how Kim was able to tell the twins apart.

"Ok, seriously, how the hell did she knew who was who?" Blake asked. Connor laughed.

"No seriously dude," Ethan said, "I'm your best friend and even I couldn't tell you apart."

"Guys," Connor said, "It's not like that. It's just…Kim and I have things in common that I don't have with you Ethe. I mean, you're still my best friend, but in some ways I'm closer to her than to anyone, sometimes even you Eric."

"You really care about her don't you?" Hunter said, "You look at her, the way I do Blake…like you'd do anything to protect her."

"I would," he replied. He turned to look over at Kim, before bringing his gaze back to them, "She's been like my sister in all the time I've known her. She's really cool and easy going, and very fun to hang out with."

"That's true," Trent said, "I mean, we've only been here, what, three or so days and it's been amazing, despite the little drama."

"What drama?" Shane asked.

"Not now guys," Connor said, "We'll tell you about it later."

"Sounds interesting," Dustin said.

"Oh it is," Trent said. After that, the talk shifted to topics about rangers, and their girlfriends. Before they knew it, it was already time to head out to the airport. Kim looked even paler than before, but she also had a determined look in her eyes. They all gathered together, getting food from Ernie to eat on the plane or the road. They said goodbye and promised to call when they got there to let Ernie and then they were off. It took them about half an hour to get to the airport. They parked, closed up the cars and headed into the terminal. They showed ID at the check-in desks, got what little luggage they had scanned and proceeded out to the wait area. Talk was very little between them as they were too anxious to leave. Cole and the DT, and NS guys were fooling around. Kim didn't mind, as it was helping her mind off of what happened. Even though she wasn't very talkative, the others didn't seem to mind as they kept talking. Wes was looking around when out of the corner of his eye he saw a plane. He turned and saw that the side of the plane read _'DUMAS.' _ He turned back to Kim, "Hey is that your dad's plane?"

The others looked up when they heard him and looked at Kim. She shifted her gaze outside and saw that it was indeed her dad's plane, "Yeah that's it."

"So…time to go?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah," she sighed, "Time to go." The group got up and made their way towards the gate. They showed their IDs once more, and then the walked down the steps to the runway. Once on the plane, everyone took a seat and settled themselves in for the flight. The seats were plush and comfortable, so it was pretty easy for everyone to relax their bodies. Once they were seated, the pilot announced that they would leave in a few minutes. Ethan, Trent, Dustin and Hunter took that opportunity to look around. Connor, having been on the plane more than a few times, decided against exploring and chose to sit with Kira. The guys came back just as the pilot announced they were ready for take-off. Within minutes, the plane was taxiing down the runway and lifting off into the air. Kim settled her head on Tommy's shoulder and as his arm made its around her, she felt a comforting warmth and soon drifted off to sleep. Hours later, most everyone on the plane was awoken by the pilot announcing the descent at the airport. They gathered their stuff and said goodbye. When they got outside, they saw three stretch limos waiting on them. They were surprised, but were told by Aisha that Tommy had called and let Pierre know that they were on their way and how many of them there was. They all nodded and piled into the limos, whose destination was the house until Kim told them to take her to the hospital.

_(At the hospital)_

The nurses working on shift were surprised to see a group of 20 something people come through the doors. They made their way over to the sign-in desk to get answers. But before Kim or Connor could open their mouths, they heard a voice from in front of them,

"Kimberly?" the group turned as one, and watched as Kim flew into the man's arms.

_(Conversation is in French)_

"Papa, what's going on?" she cried, "Is mama alright?"

"Shhh, Cherie," Pierre said to his daughter, "I spoke with the doctor, and you're mom is stable."

"What happened?" Kim asked.

"She got hit by a car," he said, "She was crossing the street and she didn't see it."

"But she's ok now, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

_(Back to English)_

The group made their way to Kim and her dad. Tommy, as usual, came to a stop behind Kimberly. Pierre looked up from his daughter's eyes and looked at the group.

"Hello."

"Hello Mr. Dumas," Tommy held out his hand, "It's nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you again as well," Pierre said, "It's been what…ten or so years right?"

"Something like that," Tommy said.

"How's Aunt Carrie doing?" Kelly asked.

"She's stable," Pierre said as he led them to the chairs, "She was bleeding a lot, with some internal injuries, but they managed to stop that and to get her stable."

"What else is there?" Connor asked, realizing that he was holding something back.

"They say that the next twenty fours are critical," he let out a ragged breath, "They're not sure if she will make it through the night, but they said if she did, then her chances of getting better will improve." Kim grabbed his hand tight between hers when she heard that.

"Well, we're here to help with anything and to offer support," Angela said.

"Thank you," Pierre said, "I'll need it." He looked out at the group that came with his daughter and was comforted by the large group that she called her friends. When his gaze came to rest on Eric, he gasped, "Connor? No wait, Eric right?"

Startled, Eric answered, "Yes, how did you know?"

Pierre turned to Kim, "Does that mean you told them?"

"Told them what?" Jason asked.

"Dad…"

"Eric and Connor are…"

"Dad, wait…"

"Eric and Connor are what?" Kira asked.

"Kim is their older sister."

"She's what?"

**A/N: if it's not too revealing, then sorry. But I really wanted to get the meeting with the others out of the way. So…Pierre updates them on Caroline's condition as well as spilling the beans onto a shocked group. How will they respond? Next chapter will really get into it, and might probably be the longest…not too sure though. Anyway, hope you guys liked it and I will try to update sooner. So read and review please.**

**A/N 2: fans for HBC, I'm already working on the next chapter, so don't worry, it will come. Ta ta for now.**


	20. Dealing with Eric

**A/N: ** hey guys. I know it's been forever, but I've been working on two other stories as well as trying to get the next chapter of HBC down. Anyways, here it is and I hope you guys enjoy it.

**To Lady2007: **I honestly don't know if in the PR universe Taylor and Tori are actually related, but they are for the purpose of my story. I think, for future stories, if it includes the NS and WF team or one of them, I will have them being sisters. Honestly, they could pass as siblings.

**To my faithful reviewers: ** thank you guys for sticking with me. Your reviews give me the incentive to keep writing. Nothing makes my day more than reading what you guys have to say. Thanks to you guys, I have over 200 reviews. Keep it up. Now on to the story…

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing but the plot.

_Last time:_

_Pierre turned to Kim, "Does that mean you told them?"_

"_Told them what?" Jason asked._

"_Dad…"_

"_Eric and Connor are…"_

"_Dad, wait…"_

"_Eric and Connor are what?" Kira asked._

"_Kim is their older sister." _

"_She's what?" _

….

"Kim's what?" Jason repeated.

"Connor and Eric are Kim's younger brothers," Pierre said.

Everyone stood there absolutely stunned. Their gaze shifted to where Kim was standing next to her stepdad. They couldn't believe. In everyone's mind, the same words were repeated over and over again, _**Kim, Connor and Eric are related…they're brothers and sister.**_

"Kim," Connor called, "Is that true? Are you really my big sister?" everyone held their breaths as they waited on her answer.

"Yes," she replied in a small voice, "That's what I was going to tell you guys when papa called."

"Wow," Connor said.

"Connor, are you alright?" Kira asked.

"Yeah, I just need to sit down for a bit," he replied, "It's a lot to take in."

"How are you so sure that she's our sister?" Eric asked, "How is she our sister?"

"Her mother is your mother," Pierre said.

"No, Sandra and Jordan McKnight are our parents," Eric retorted.

"Jordan is your father," Pierre said, "But Sandra isn't your mother." Seeing that he was going to speak, Pierre rushed on with an explanation, "Your full name is Eric Jordan McKnight, and Connor's name is Connor Jayden McKnight…"

"We know," Eric said bitingly, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I know _how _you got your names," Pierre replied.

"How?" Connor asked.

"Caroline's middle name is Erica, so they gave you her middle name and your dad's first name," Pierre said.

"And Connor?" Eric asked, still not believing a word he was saying.

At this point, Pierre turned to Kim. "What were the names of your mom's parents?"

"Jamison and Dennica Renoir," Kim said, "Why?"

"Take the first syllable of your grandfather's name and the first three letters in your grandmother's name and you get Connor's middle; Jayden."

"And how did Connor get his first name?" Sally asked.

"Jordan's dad's name was Connor," Pierre replied, "Your grandfather died when Jordan was in high school. They were really close, so he decided to name you after him."

"Is that true Connor?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "My dad told us about grandpa. He told me that he named me after him, but when I asked how I got my middle name, he would get this look in his eyes. Almost as if…"

"As if he lost someone very important to him or he wished he did something different?" Tommy asked quietly.

"Yeah," Connor said. He didn't even bother to ask how Tommy knew what he was talking about as it was clear to most of them that he meant when he had let Kimberly go in high school. While Connor and the originals understood Tommy's question, the rest did not.

"How did you know that Tommy?" Danny asked.

Shifting his gaze to Kim, he replied, "Because I know what it's like to lose someone you love and to wish that you had done things differently."

"Exactly," Pierre said, "Caroline and Jordan had fallen in love, but circumstances prevented them from being together."

"Circumstances like what?" Eric asked.

"They were married to different people," Kim said softly. "She was married to my dad, and he to Sandra. They couldn't be together, so they decided to end it and that Jordan would get you guys as he always wanted children and my mom already had me."

"But why would my dad be with your mom?" Eric asked, "And how do I know that you're not lying?"

"Because your mom couldn't have kids," Pierre replied, "Sandra couldn't have kids. Your _mother _isn't what she seems Eric."

"No, you're lying," he shook his head. "You have to be. I refuse to believe this."

"If you don't believe me then call you father," Pierre replied.

"I will, and he will prove that you're lying," Eric replied, "I don't care what you say, my mother's name is Sandra Emilie McKnight and nothing is going to change that."

"Eric…"

"NO, ok I said no. there's no way that he's telling the truth," he said as he moved from the group. "And you're all idiots for believing his lies." And with that, he turned and walked off. Sally looked at the others apologetically before sprinting after her boyfriend. Kim sank down into one of the chairs, tears running down her face. The situation just sinking in, _**'My mom's fighting for her life; one of my brother's look to be in shock and the other took off…what did I do to deserve this?'**_

"Beautiful, are you ok?" Tommy asked as he kneeled in front of her. She shook her head no. he stood and lifted her in his arms before sitting back down in the chair with her on his lap. She buried her head in her chest as the tears fell freely.

"That's not how I wanted them to find out," she said tearfully.

"Mon petit croissant," Pierre said, "Forgive me. When I saw them here, I thought that they knew."

"I didn't get a chance to tell them," She said, "I got the call from you about mom…" she trailed off as fresh tears filled her eyes. Tommy tucked her head back against his chest, and rubbed her back as she cried over her mom, while whispering words of encouragement to her.

"Why aren't you as freaked out or angry as Eric?" Taylor asked Connor.

"That _was _my first reaction," he replied, "Over the years, I've learned to accept the weird things that happen, and this is definitely one of the weirdest…but I can't get angry, at least not yet. Kim's already upset enough as it is and she doesn't need me or the two of us going off on a rampage. Besides it's not like she knew the entire two years we've known each other; she was in the dark just as much as me."

"So…you're not angry with me?" Kim asked timidly.

"Never," he replied as he knelt in front of her, "You didn't know Kim and when you found out, you were going to tell us anyways. Besides, there could be worse things than having you for a big sister."

"Like what?"

"Having a monster for a father," he replied with a wink at Trent, who immediately called out, "HEY!"

Kim giggled, before looking at Connor seriously. She touched his cheek and said, "Despite it all, I'm glad you're my brother and I'm glad that you're not angry with me, that you're accepting of this."

"I know you Kim," he said, "And I spent almost two years getting to know Pierre and your…I mean, our mom, and I know that they wouldn't have lied about something like this. Am I angry that I'm just finding out, yes, but I do know that there had to be a really good reason why they kept it from us in the first place."

"Thanks for being so understanding," she said.

"I'm your brother," he cheekily replied, "It runs in the family." The others laughed at his response. About twenty minutes later, Sally came back. Her head was lowered towards the ground, but the sniffles were unmistakable.

"Sally, what happened?" Marah asked.

"He called his dad," she replied.

"What did his dad say?" Hunter asked.

"He basically gave him the summary of what Mr. Dumas just said," she sniffled. "I tried to comfort him, but he yelled at me and walked off." The others looked at each other. Connor sighed at the thought of his twin hurting his girlfriend like that. He stood up and turned to her completely, "I'll go talk to him." Before he could take a step though, a tug on his arm stopped him,

"Let me," Kim said.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"He's probably feeling betrayed right now," she said, "And I understand that better than anyone here." He couldn't argue with that as his mind flitted towards Kat for a second. Sally, still feeling hurt from her conversation with Eric, snapped at Kim, "And what can you do to make it better? Isn't it your fault after all?"

"Sally!" Tori gasped.

"If she hadn't told Eric about his parents, then he wouldn't be acting this way in the first place," she said. Everyone watched Sally in stunned silence. They couldn't believe what she just said. Their gazes shifted to Kim to see her reaction. Her eyes were closed, almost as if she was squeezing them, and her hands were clenched into tight fists. When she opened her eyes, Sally took a step back and everyone except the original team and Connor, gasped. They could see that her eyes were hard as diamonds and could feel the anger and pain coming out of them. She took one step towards Sally and with a voice that was as cold as winter, said, "If it wasn't for the fact that my _mother _was in there fighting for her life and oneof _my _brothers was upset, then I would joyfully kick your ass," she paused to take a deep breath, hoping to calm herself down. "As it is, right now I don't really give a shit what you think. My brother needs me, and truthfully, I'm most likely the only one here that knows exactly what he's going through. If you don't like it, then you can go take a flying leap off a cliff." And with that, she turned on her heel, and walked off, leaving Sally with her mouth opened in shock. She turned back to the others and opened her mouth to talk, but was cut off by Kira.

"What the hell is your problem?" without giving her a chance to answer, Kira continued, "Kim's already going through hell because of her mom and you go and act like a bitch, opening your mouth and yelling at her, when you don't even understand anything that's going on."

"You know Sally," Connor started, "In case you haven't realized, I'm not the only one you have to make a good impression on. And accusing my big sister…_Eric's_ big sister like you did, is not helping your case at all."

"Sal," Marah said, "What got into you?"

"I don't know," she replied in a small voice, "I guess I was just upset and angry that I couldn't get through to Eric and that he yelled at me, that I lashed out at her."

"Well that was pretty stupid for you to do," Rocky said, his voice hard. "We've already had one person do that and I'll be damned if I sit here and let you go off on my little sister like that again."

"Rocky's right," Adam said, his voice tinged with anger, "Kim's family and we don't appreciate people attacking her like that, especially when they don't know her and when they blame her for something that wasn't her fault."

"Do that again, and you will regret it," Tanya said. Sally looked up and saw that the look of anger on her face. She shifted her gaze and saw the same look, if not more on the rest of the original and the DT gangs' face. "I'm really sorry."

"We're not the ones you have to apologize to," Angela said. Sally nodded and moved to sit in one of the chairs. She kept her head bowed, ashamed of the way she had attacked Kim. Pierre stood close by and had watched everything with a keen eye. He could tell that Kim was well loved by the people in the room and was glad for it. His gaze shifted to the windows and watched the stars that sparkled in the moonlight. Because of the time difference, they had arrived in Paris well into the night. He wanted to suggest that they go back to the house, but he knew that Kim wouldn't move until she saw her mom for herself. His thought then drifted to the love of his life. _'I do hope you get better soon Cherie, our daughter, your sons and I need you.'_

(_With Kim and Eric)_

Kim walked down the hallway, glancing around occasionally hoping to spot her brother. As she walked, she let out a deep sigh willing the remaining anger to leave her body. She couldn't believe the way that Sally had reacted. _'Blaming me for everything, when I have so much shit going on.' _ She sighed again, _'Seriously, what higher power did I piss off to have all this crap happening to me? My mom's fighting for her life, my brother's having a tantrum and me…I have to fix it all.' _ She shook her head. _'Well that's not completely true…Tommy's helping me a lot, as well as the others. And I can't really blame Sally, plus I'm sure that the others have probably laid into her.' _ Shaking her head once more, she turned a corner and stopped as she saw Eric sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward until she stood right in front of him. She gave a light touch to his shoulder and said softly, "Eric?"

He jerked and looked up at her. She saw the tears in his eyes and felt hers start to fill as well.

"What happened Eric?" she asked as she sat down.

"I called him," he started. He paused as he took a breath before continuing. "I called him and he told me the truth."

"Which was?" she asked, though she already knew.

"That he had met your mom back in '86 and they got together. He said that he and my mom Sandra were having problems because she couldn't have kids and when he met her, they fell in love. Connor and I were born almost a year later and Caroline gave us up to be with them because she knew that Sandra couldn't have kids and she already had you."

"How are you feeling Eric?" she questioned softly.

He let out a dry laugh. "My parents, they lied to me my entire life, and I find out that my biological mother is in the hospital fighting for her life. So tell me, how do you think I feel?"

"I think you feel hurt, angry and betrayed," she never raised her voice from the soft pitch she had started with. "You feel like your whole world just came crashing down on you and you feel as if you're being crushed or you're drowning beneath it at all. You trying to fight your way to the top, but everything seem so overwhelming that you just want to let it go, let it drown you, but you know that you can't."

He raised bleak and tear-filled eyes towards her, his voice thick with the pain of what he just found out, "How do I survive? How do I regain my hold on it? How do keep it from burying me?"

"By letting others help," she responded, "I know you're angry and despite what you may think, I do understand what it feels like to be betrayed. But you forgot something; you're not the only hurting here. Connor and I have to deal with this as well. We're family, the three of us, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can let us help. Whether or not you're ready to accept or admit it, you're my little brother Eric, and our mom…yes our mom…she needs us right now. And we need each other. I already know Connor, and I'd like it very much if I could get to know my other brother as well."

He was quiet as he let her words sink in. _'I feel so bad. I completely forgot about her and Connor. But I'm so angry. How could my parents lie to me….to us all these years? But she's right. Her mom….our mom….my mom, she needs us right now. And I can wait to get the answers to the questions I have.' _ He broke put of his thoughts when he felt her lift his chin, so that she could look into his eyes, "Are you ok?"

"Not really," he sighed, "But I think I will be."

"OK," she said. She stood up and held out her hand, "Come on…let's go."

"Ok," he grabbed her hand and stood up as well. They turned to go when he tugged on her hand and pulled her to a stop.

"What is it?" Kim asked, a frown forming on her face. She watched as he bent close and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for everything….sis."

Kim let out a smile, the first real full smile since she got the call about her mom. She touched his cheek and replied, "You're welcome little bro." And with that, they turned and started walking again. Kim wasn't sure how things were going to turn out, but she felt that she had just passed a milestone that she didn't even know was there. With the three of them, Pierre and the others all praying for her, she felt that her mom had one hell of a support team. As they drew nearer to the others, she felt Eric nudge her and looked up at him. He looked like a lost little boy, "Is mom going to be ok?" _'I just called her mom. It feels weird, but at the same time, it feels good. I feel ok with, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off of me.' _ He stopped his musings to look Kim. When he saw the smile on her face, much like the one she had when he called her sis, he realized it was because he seemed to start accepting what he was told. _'But it was worth it, just to see the smile on her face.'_

"I can't honestly say that everything will be fine," she paused. "But I really do hope so. Mom has too much to live for."

"And with everyone here," he said as they looked over to where the others were, "She has more than enough people praying for her."

"That's true," she smiled only to lose it a few seconds later at the look in his eyes. "What is it this time?"

"Do you think…do you think that she missed us? That she would be glad to see us…to see me?"

"Yes I do," she said, "She loves us Eric, all three of us. I know that when she gave you and Connor up it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. She told me that it was the only choice she had, and that she missed you guys every single day. Her only wish…her only dream was that one day she would be reunited with the two of you…that the four of us would be together again. And now…"

"Now she has her wish," he finished, "Though the circumstances suck." Tears filled Kim's eyes once again as she thought on her mother. Seeing it, Eric pulled her in a hug. "Hey, shhh, it's going to be ok. We just have to have faith."

She gave a wry chuckle, "How did our roles get reversed?"

"I don't know," he smiled at her, "But it's ok. That's what brothers are for…to help their sister with her troubles. Isn't that what you told me?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Thanks Eric…I mean Jordan."

He laughed, "Anytime sis." He pulled out of the hug, but kept an arm around her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around his waist and they continued their walk towards the others. Kim could see the looks on the others face and knew that were wondering what happened. She caught Tommy's eyes and when she saw the worried look in them, she gave a tiny shake of her head to let him know that everything was ok…that she was ok. He gave a nod and a smile to show that he understood and waited patiently until the two reached them. The moment they came to a stop, Connor stepped in front of them, "Everything ok?"

"Yeah," Eric said as he shifted his gaze to Kim. He turned back to his brother and finished his sentence, "Everything's fine."

**A/N: **well there it is. I hope you guys enjoyed. It's only ten…well…nine pages long, but I really only wanted to deal with Kim and Eric. Some of you may not be surprised about Connor, but I hope I did a good job with Eric and Kim.

Read and review and tell me what you think.


	21. Waking up to a song

**A/N: **another chapter. It's kind of short, only about eight pages, but I know you guys will love it, so enjoy.

**A/N 2: **it jumps a bit.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and the nurse.

* * *

It's been three days since the group arrived in Paris; three days since Caroline had her accident and Kim got the call. It was now Saturday, and the group, minus Kim, Connor, Eric and their significant others, were getting ready for another day of sightseeing. As anticipated, Kim had refused to leave until she saw her mom. When they had placed her in her room, one bigger than others because of the group, she had immediately burst into tears, collapsing in Tommy's arms. Connor and Eric, the latter who just found out about his true parentage, had tears in their eyes as they gazed upon their mother. After spending the night, they all went back to the house to eat and freshen up. To the surprise of everyone, except Kimberly, Rocky had the idea that the group go out and see the town so that Kim and her brothers could have some personal time with their mom. After getting assurances from Kim that it was okay, the gang did exactly that. As they packed a few snacks, Kim walked over to Rocky. "Rocky?" she called softly.

He turned away from counter to look at her. "Hey sis, what's up?"

"Nothing much," she said as she tucked some hair behind her ear. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did." At his confused look, she giggled and continued. "With getting the others to go out for the last three days and for giving me and the guys some time with our mom."

"Oh, it was no problem," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I figured since Connor and Eric had just found out about her being their mom that the three of you might have needed some time with her."

"I know," she smiled. "But I still wanted to say thanks."

"It was nothing, but you're welcome anyways," he replied as he bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. He pulled away just in time to hear Adam shouting from the front door, "YO, ROCKY, WILL YOU GET A MOVE ON! WE HAVE PLACES TO SEE!"

Kim laughed. "You know, sometimes it's as if you two switch places."

He let out a dramatic sigh. "I keep telling everyone that I'm really the better one, but no one will listen." He sighed again before letting a smile build across his face. "But oh well, it's so much fun to watch everyone's faces every time something like this happens." She laughed, as he hoped she would, before letting him go. "See you later Apeman."

"Later," he bowed. "My little firebird." She laughed as he ducked out the door, just as Adam yelled out again. The door closed with him yelling something back, which she was thankful she didn't understand. She never heard Tommy and the others come into the room.

"Hey Beautiful," Tommy called as he came up behind her. "Was that Rocky and Adam yelling at each other?"

"Yeah," she said before she turned to the group. "You guys ready to go?"

"Yep," Connor, Kira, Eric and Sally replied.

"Ok then," Tommy said. "Let's go." They moved to the door and were almost there when Kim stopped.

"OH, I almost forgot," she said as she turned around and moved back into the room.

"What is it Kim?" Kira called after her.

"Just something I need," she called back as she ran up the stairs.

"Anyone else confused?" Sally asked.

"Yep," the others chorused.

"Oh okay, just checking," she replied. Within minutes, Kim was rushing back down the stairs, guitar in hand. Seeing it, Tommy, as well as Kira and Connor, let out a smile.

"You play?" Eric asked.

"Yeah I do," she smiled sadly. "But it's been awhile since my mom heard me. So it I thought, why not play for her. Maybe she will be able to hear me."

"That's a good idea Kim," Sally said. A timid smile on her face. She was a little unsure around Kim, given her actions the night Eric found about his parents. Even though Kim had reassured over the last three days that she understood and was over it, she still felt like she should do something more.

"Thanks Sal," Kim said. "Alright, well that's it…..let's go." Within minutes, the house was completely empty. Everyone was gone; some enjoying the day, the rest visiting family.

…

Kim and company arrived at the hospital a little after one. The attending nurse, having already been familiarized with them, smiled and waved them on. Tommy pushed open the door to reveal Pierre sitting in the chair next to the bed. He looked up when he saw them, "Bonjour."

"Bonjour papa," Kim responded as she walked over and placed a kiss on his cheek. Turning to her mom, she ran her hand across her cheek as she placed a kiss there as well. "How is she?"

"They say that her stability has improved greatly," he sighed as he looked at his unconscious wife. "Her wounds have healed up, all the bleeding has stopped. Right now, she's just unconscious."

"Okay," Kim replied as she took the seat on the other side of the bed. She picked up her mom's hand and held it between her own. "Hey there. I told you we'd be back. We're right here mom and we're not going anywhere."

"She's right," Eric said as he sat on the edge of the bed, Sally standing between his legs. "We're here mom, you got your wish."

"Now all you have to do is wake up," Connor added as he sat on the other side, Kira mirroring what Sally did. Everyone was silent for awhile as they looked on at the woman that meant so much to them. After awhile, Pierre had asked about the others, so Kim, with a smile on her face, told her stepdad what the plans for the others were. Thirty minutes after they arrived at the hospital, the group was confused when the doors opened to reveal the others.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kira asked.

"We wanted to be here," Wes replied as he moved further into the room so the others could come in.

"We honestly didn't feel right being out there when you guys are here," Angela said as she walked over and placed a kiss on Kim's forehead. "How are you sweetie?" she whispered.

"I'm good," Kim whispered back, before she raised her voice to address the group. "We told you guys that we didn't mind that you went out today."

"We know," Hayley said, "But we wanted to be here."

"She means a lot to us, because you guys mean a lot to us," Tori replied, as she found a seat on Blake after he sat in one of the many chairs.

"Thanks guys," Connor said.

"Don't worry about it bro," Ethan waved him off as he found his own seat, pulling Caitlin with him.

"Yeah," Trent added. "We're family and this is what families do; they are there for each other." Kim couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes at their words. She let out a watery smile and said, "Thanks guys. That means so much to me….to us."

"You're welcome sis," Trini said with a smile.

"Besides," Zack replied with a wink. "After everything we've been through, you think we'd let you guys go through this alone." Kim let out a giggle at that. "No, of course not." She turned to her mom and stroked her hair. "You hear that mom? You have so many people fighting for you, you just can't give up. You have to keep fighting; you have to hold on mom." She paused as she thought about what she was going to do next. Thinking about it for a few seconds, she decided it wouldn't hurt, and it had been awhile since she played for her mom. It didn't matter if she couldn't hear her; Kim knew that it would at least make her feel better. Bending down, she picked up her guitar and turned to her mom. "I wrote this song for you. I kept thinking about all that happened, and this is what I came up with. I love you mom, and I want you to fight to come back to us." Everyone, minus the NS and WF/TF team, smiled. They knew that they were in for a treat, as listening to Kim always seemed to make them feel better. The others didn't know that she could sing, but from the expressions on everyone else's faces, they knew that it would be good. Getting more comfortable, everyone relaxed and waited for her to start. With the first string of the guitar, Kim took a breath before letting the words flow out of her;

(Verse 1)_  
You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No I won't give in_(Chorus)  
_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There was nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There was no other way when it came to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
_

Everyone was so focused on Kim and the song, that no one noticed the movement coming from the bed._  
_

(Verse 2)_  
So far away  
I wish you were here  
Before it's too late, this could all disappear  
_

Tears filled Kim's eyes as she sang that line in the song, but she wasn't alone. All the girls had silent tears running down their cheeks, while the guys just held them, trying to keep their tears in check as they listened to the pure emotion coming from their friend. Again, no one noticed the fluttering eyelids.

_Before the doors close  
And it comes to an end  
By your side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend  
Yeah, yeah_(Chorus)_  
Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There was nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There was no other way when it came to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_(Bridge)_  
Hear me when I say, when I say I believe  
Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny  
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

La da da da  
La da da da  
La da (repeat 8x)

So in tuned as they were with the song, no one heard the quiet gasp that came from the bed or the slow opening of a pair of soft, almost doe-like, brown eyes. They never saw the way the tears filled her eyes or the smile that came on her face, as Caroline listened to her daughter.

(Chorus)_  
Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you_

Caroline felt her tears spill over onto her cheeks as she heard that line. She wanted to wipe them, but refused to move her hands, not wanting to draw attention to herself and to hear the rest of the song.

_There was nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There was no other way when it came to the truth  
So keep holding on_

She remembered the accident and the fight that she had had with Kim prior to it. She had felt so bad, almost sick with the thought that her daughter would want nothing more to do with her. But now, all she could do was she wonder how she could have ever thought that._  
_

_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

Keep holding on  
Keep holding on

There was nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There was no other way when it came to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

The room was silent as Kim finished the last chord in the song. Every person had tears in their eyes and made no move to wipe them. Caroline, deciding it she was quiet long enough, spoke softly, but her voice was clear enough to be heard by the entire room.

"I always loved hearing you sing."

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **so there you have it. Caroline's awake. I couldn't kill her off. Kim's been through too much already. And besides, it would have been cruel to kill her just when Connor and Eric find out about her being their mom. Besides, Caroline still has to fully explain everything with Sandra and Jordan to them. Don't worry, a confrontation will happen with Sandra; she has to face the consequences of what she did. Next chapter might be out by this weekend, not too sure. So for now, just push that little button and leave a review…..you know you want to.

**A/N 2: **I know that it was short, but I just wanted to get Caroline awake.


	22. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: **Thanks to all the reviews, you guys are amazing; so here is the next chapter. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the nurse and doctor.

_

* * *

__Last time:_

_The room was silent as Kim finished the last chord in the song. Every person had tears in their eyes and made no move to wipe them. Caroline, deciding she was quiet long enough, spoke softly, but her voice was clear enough to be heard by the entire room._

"_I always loved hearing you sing."_

…_._

Kim let out a gasp when she heard the voice. Some of the gang was looking around in confusion, however, their faces soon turned to surprise when they looked at the hospital bed.

"Oh my God," Trini said softly, her hand covering her mouth. Kim closed her eyes before she opened them and slowly looked up. Looking back at her were a familiar pair of brown eyes that belonged to her mother. "Mom?" she called softly.

"Hi sweetie," Caroline called back. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at her daughter. Kim let out a sob before throwing herself in her mother's arms. when she felt them close around her, her tears came harder and she could be heard saying how sorry she was over and over again.

"It's ok baby," Caroline soothed her crying daughter. "It's ok, I'm fine." Kim pulled back to look into her eyes. "I thought I lost you mom."

"You could never lose me," she shook her head. "I'm too stubborn to let go." They both let out a chuckle before Caroline pulled Kim into another hug. "I missed you baby girl, and I'm so sorry about before."

"It's ok mom," Kim said as she continued hugging her. "Everything's going to be ok." Pulling back, she looked in her mom's eyes. Looking away, Caroline looked at all the people in her room. "Hello."

"Hi," the group responded.

"I take it these are your friends?" she questioned. Seeing her daughter nod, she smiled. She was about to ask her something when she saw Pierre moving on the other side of the bed. Turning to him, she gave a watery smile. "Hi baby."

Grabbing her hand, he leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead. "Don't ever scare me like that again Cherie."

"I won't," she smiled. "Je t'aime."

"I love you too," he replied before kissing her once more. Kim smiled as she looked at her parents. She looked back at her friends and smiled at them. She the relief as well the love in their eyes and took comfort from it. Her gaze fell to Eric, who was watching the bed in anticipation mixed with fear. Knowing what he wanted, Kim turned to her mom.

"Mom, there's someone here for you to meet." Caroline looked on in confusion and watched as her daughter got up from the bed. She watched as Kim walked over to who she thought was Connor. _'Why would Kim want me to meet Connor? I already know him.' _Her eyes widened. _'Oh my God. Can that be….is that Eric?' _Coming out of her thoughts, she watched her daughter move back to the bed, holding the guy by his hand. When she stood in her original spot, Kim pulled Eric to stand next to her. She paused for a few seconds before turning to Connor and pulled him next to her, so that all three were standing next to the bed. Satisfied with the results, Kim turned back to her mom.

"Mom, I'd like to officially introduce you to Eric Jordan and Connor Jayden McKnight….your sons." Turning to Connor and Eric, she said, "Connor, Eric I'd like to introduce you to Caroline Erica Dumas….your mother." Everyone held their breath as they observed what was happening. Kim looked back and forth between her mother and her brothers, silently wondering who would make the first move and hoping that everything would turn out okay. Both boys were silent as they looked on at the woman who they just found out was their mother. After a few minute of silence, which felt like hours for the other occupants, Connor was the first to move. He went to where Kim was and watched as she moved. When he got near, he bent down and wrapped Caroline in a gentle hug. "Hi mom." His words, though softly spoken and were words that were used everyday, brought tears to Caroline's eyes as she truly held her son for the first time. Seeing his brother move, Eric shook out of his daze to move to her side as well. When Connor moved back, he moved up. He hesitated for a second before wrapping her in a hug as well.

"I'm glad you're ok mom," he whispered to her. Tears fell even more down her cheeks as she heard his words.

"My boys," Caroline choked out as she pulled Connor into the hug as well. "I've missed you more than you know." Kim moved to Tommy's arms and cried softly at the reunion between mother and sons; a reunion that was years over due. Everyone else as well had tears in the ears at the scene.

"We missed you too mom," Connor replied for the both of them. They pulled back from her and smiled. Caroline reached up and wiped her tears from her eyes. She looked out at the group and smiled at them. Eric pulled the chair that Kim was sitting in close to the bed and sat down as Connor sat on the side. Connor grabbed Caroline's hand in his and smiled at her. "I can't believe I spent two years with you and not know you were my mother."

When she heard that, a sad smile came across Caroline's face. "I'm so sorry I never told you guys before." She paused as she took a shuddering breath. "After realizing that you were my son, it became so hard to keep it to myself. Even now, I can't think of one reason why I never told you guys the truth."

"Mom, it's ok," Kim said as she moved from her spot in Tommy's arms to stand next to the bed between Connor and Eric. "We know that something had to have happen for you to keep it a secret in the first place and for so long, but right now, we're just happy that you're ok."

"She's right," Eric said. "We have all the time to get everything out…."

"But for now," Connor continued, "Let's just enjoy the fact that you're ok and that we are a family again."

Caroline let out a watery smile. "You guys are amazing, you know that?"

"We've have been called that before," Connor replied cheekily. Everyone laughed at his response. Caroline leaned back against her pillow, which was propped up by Pierre, and directed her gaze to the group. "Ok, since we're going to leave all the heavy stuff for later, how about some introductions?"

"Sure," Jason said, pointing to himself, he continued. "I'm Jason." Caroline let out a laugh and said, "I know that already Mr. Scott….after all, I helped change your diapers." A red flush made its way across Jason's face as he became embarrassed. The others laughed and Zack snickered and pointed at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly when he his own face began to flush at Caroline's words. "I don't know what you're snickering for Zachary, as I seem to recall a little boy that refused to shower and preferred to run naked."

"What?" Angela gasped out in between laughs. The entire room was in full blown laughter mode at the look on both of their faces. The sound of the laughter drew the nurse and doctor to the room.

"What's going on in here?" the doctor asked. He looked at the group in turn before his gaze came to rest on the bed where his patient was looking back at him. His eyes became a little wider and surprise and shock, which echoed in his voice. "Mrs. Dumas….you're awake!"

"Yes I am," Caroline replied. Moving forward into the room, followed closely by the nurse, the doctor walked over to her bedside. He checked her vitals, her breathing and lastly her remaining injuries. Satisfied that everything was ok and that she was well on the road to better, he stood back to address her as well as everyone else. "Well, everything seems ok. Your vitals are good; the swellings are going down, and your injuries are healing nicely."

"So…." Kim asked, impatience coloring her tone. "What does that mean?"

"That means that she is most definitely getting better," the doctor replied. "She'll have to stay in the hospital for the next few days, just to make sure that everything keeps going well. But after that she is to take it easy when she gets out. Not too much moving around and no strenuous activity that will hinder her recovery." At the relief that echoed through the room, the doctor smiled. This part was always the best part of his job. Looking at everyone, he saw the gratitude in their eyes and comfort and relief that Caroline was going to be ok. Shifting his gaze to his patient, he smiled at her. "You have quite the support here."

"I know," she smiled. "And I'm glad for it."

He laughed. "Well since you're in such good hands, I'll check on you later."

"Thank you doctor," Kim said as he passed her.

"Your welcome." And with that, both he and the nurse left. When the doors closed, Connor let out a shout and turned to his mother. "Did you hear that mom? You get to leave in a few days." Caroline smiled. Her heart warmed when she heard him call her mom. _'I never thought that I could get any happier, but hearing him call me mom…hearing them both call me mom and being with my family makes it happen.' _Turning back to the group, she smiled. "So, we never finished the introductions earlier."

"That's right," Kira said.

"Why doesn't Tommy do it since he seems to know everyone," Hayley said. She paused for a few seconds and continued. "He's done it so much that it only seems fair."

"Why me?" he sighed. Everyone laughed at the look on his face.

"The sooner you do it handsome, the sooner you'll be done," Kim said as she leaned into him.

"Alright," he nodded. Looking to where Kelly was, he started. "You already know Kelly—

"Kelly? That's you standing over there?" Caroline interrupted him. The girl in question nodded. "Yeah, it's me Aunt Carrie."

"Girl, get over here and give me a hug," Caroline said. Chuckles were heard around the room as Kelly moved to hug her aunt. "I haven't seen you in forever Kels."

"Same here," Kelly replied as she pulled away. "Despite the circumstances, it's really good to be here."

"So how's Carson?" Caroline asked.

"Dad's doing great," Kelly replied. "His car shop in Angel Grove is really thriving."

"Your dad owns a car shop?" Dustin asked. "Man, no wonder you have the surf shop."

"Surf shop? What's that?" Caroline asked.

"It's a bike shop," Kelly said. "I sell bikes and bike parts there, along with surfboards."

"Like father like daughter," Caroline teased. Kelly laughed. Turning back to Tommy, Caroline said, "Sorry Tommy, you can continue."

"It's ok," he said. "You needed to catch up. Ok, the guy in green over there, that's Cam. Next to him is Dustin (who waved his hand), Tori, her boyfriend Blake, his older brother Hunter, Marah and Shane. Then we have Taylor, Tori's older sister, her boyfriend Eric, Wes, his girlfriend Jen, Max, Danny, Cole and his girlfriend Alyssa. And finally we have Hayley, Ethan and his girlfriend Caitlin, Trent and his girlfriend Krista, and Kira…Connor's girlfriend. Oh yeah and the girl standing behind Eric is his girlfriend Sally."

"Wow," she said. "That's a lot of people." Looking at them, she smiled before she shifted to Kira and Sally. "So…..you're dating my sons."

"Mom," Eric whined. "Don't start."

"Don't start what?" She asked, an innocent look on her face looking eerily like Kim.

"You know, now I see where Kim got that look from," Tommy said.

"Hey," Kim said as she smacked his arm.

Rubbing the spot, Tommy smiled down at her. "Sorry Beautiful."

"You're forgiven," she smiled up at him. "But only because I love you." Everyone laughed. Caroline looked back at Eric and touched his hand. When she got his attention, she spoke. "Fine, I won't say or ask anything about your girlfriends now," she paused.

"Thank you," Eric and Connor replied.

"But…There's no stopping me once I get out of the hospital," she continued.

"Mom," they whined, drawing laughter from everyone.

"Oh come on guys," Kira said as she leaned against Connor. "She's your mom. It's only fair that she wants to know about us. I mean, I'm sure she did the same to Dr. O when he started dating Kim."

"Dr. O?" Caroline asked. "Tommy, you're a doctor?"

"No I'm not actually," he replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a doctor of Paleontology. I'm a science teacher at Reefside High."

"Wait," she said. "You're teaching _science_? How did you get into that? If I recall, you hated science in high school."

"Aww man Caroline," Tommy whined. "Not you too." Everyone laughed at the look on his face.

"We were just as shocked when he told us," Billy said.

"I wish everyone would stop picking on me," Tommy sighed.

"Sorry bro," Jason said. "It's just too easy sometimes."

"Yeah whatever," Tommy replied.

"I missed this," Caroline said suddenly. At their looks, she continued. "I missed seeing Kim so relaxed; I miss seeing you guys playing in the backyard or hearing your plans to hang out at the youth center….does Ernie still own it?"

"Yeah he does," Trini replied. "He sold it but ended up buying it back. Said he missed it and home too much."

"Which we were thankful for," Zach said.

"Yeah," Tanya continued. "No one runs the youth center like Ernie does."

"And nobody makes the food like he does either," Rocky said.

"Always thinking with your stomach Rocky?" Billy asked. They laughed when he looked back with a sheepish expression on his face. Pierre settled on the bed, an arm behind Caroline's head. He smiled down at her before bending down to place a kiss on her lips. "I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you too," she smiled back. They turned their attention back to the group to see everyone laughing and Caroline relaxed and smiled, thinking of how lucky she was.

…

The next few days flew by really fast and before they knew it, it was time for Caroline to go home. It was now Tuesday and everyone was enjoying themselves. Kim, Connor and Eric, along with Pierre were bringing Caroline home, while the others decided to have a little welcome home party for her. Rocky, Hayley, Cam, and Alyssa had been placed in charge of the food while the others decided to decorate the house. As she was helping Trini with the streamers, Kira smiled as she came across a picture of Kim and Connor.

"Hey look at this," she turned to Trini.

"What is it?" Trini asked as she moved towards her. seeing the photo, she started laughing. "Oh I remember, Kim told me about that. Apparently she and Connor were supposed to be helping out with a charity function for a children's hospital…I don't know the details exactly but somehow they ended up getting caught in a food fight, which they started…I think. The hosts were furious but calmed down after they realized that the children had fun."

"They do look alike," Kira said. "I mean, I never noticed it before but now, looking at picture I can tell."

"Yeah, it is a big shock though," Trini said. Kira got quiet as she looked at the picture. Connor had his arms around Kim, with her arm around his waist and even though they were both covered in food and decorations, you could see the laughter in their eyes to go along with the huge smiles they both wore which showed that they did enjoy themselves. Seeing Kira quiet and looking thoughtful, Trini touched her arm. "What is it?"

"It's just…." She sighed before starting again. "They look so close, they _are_ so close. And I know that they care a lot about each other and I care about them too, it's just that a part of me….a part of me—

"Is jealous at how close the two of them because you know that they shared two years of their lives together, two years that you weren't really a part of," Trini finished.

"Yeah," Kira smiled sadly. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, it makes you human," Trini said as she hugged her. "I felt the same way at one point."

"You did," Kira was a little shocked. she didn't think that Trini would feel that way.

"So did Aisha," Trini said as she started fixing more decorations. "Kim and Connor went through a few things and he was there for her initially when she found out about Kat. He's closer to her on some level than we are to her, and I think a part of that stems from those letters." She sighed. "When we chose to not confront Kim about them, we lost a part of her trust, we also lost a part of her. And even though we made up back in '01, there was still something that was between us. There was a part of her self that she held back from us and that hurt a lot. It wasn't until the night that Kat left when you guys found out about her being Annabelle and we had that confrontation that I actually felt as close to Kim as I used to. I talked to 'Sha and she told me the same thing. Connor really helped Kim a lot and I'm thankful for that. I think that if he wasn't with her when she found out, if he hadn't helped her to understand that she still had some anger towards us, then we wouldn't have been as close or even closer than we were in high school."

"I guess I could understand that," Kira said softly. "I mean, I don't know what I'd do without Connor, or even Ethan and Trent, you know? And yeah, I was jealous, especially when I had called Connor and hearing him telling Kim that he loved her. I mean, we weren't even together but from the way he talked about her, I could tell that they were really close and that hurt. I thought that he had found someone else. Now I know that they're related, and I'm accepting that they are really close."

"That's good," Trini said. "And hey, look at it this way, you not only gained a boyfriend, but you gained an amazing older sister and you have the chance to get to know her."

"You're right," Kira said. "Thanks for listening to me and for telling me how you felt."

"No problem, especially if it helped you," Trini smiled.

"It did, thanks."

"It's ok," Trini said. "Now let's finish these decorations; Kim and the others should be home soon."

"Ok."

_(At the Hospital)_

Kim, Connor and Eric walked through the walls of the hospital towards their mom's room. They were excited because she was finally better enough to go home and they couldn't wait.

"Do you think we're going overboard with the homecoming party?" Eric asked.

"Nope," Kim shook her head. "No way. We're having this party, she deserves it."

"Okay," he said. "Just checking." Over the past few days, he and Kim had started talking and hanging out, getting to know each other. And in that time, he had found out that when his sister put her mind to something, it was very hard to get her to change. With her help, both he and Connor had decided to wait a while before getting the full truth about the parentage from Caroline and instead to focus more on spending time with their mom and getting to know her. Kim had gotten the idea to have the party for her, so now there they were; everyone was back at the house getting ready and they were picking her up. Reaching the room, they pushed open the door and saw their mom sitting on the bed already dressed with Pierre standing next to her and the doctor talking to them.

"Hey mom, hey dad," Kim said as she walked over to them. She bent down to kiss her mom.

"Hey sweetie," Caroline answered. Looking over at Connor and Eric, she smiled. "Hey guys."

"Hi mom," they replied. "So what's going on?" Connor asked.

"Just giving her instructions," the doctor replied. "Now Caroline, remember what I told you, not too much stress. Which means, no heavy movement and no sex." At that Caroline and Pierre flushed, while Kim snickered and Eric and Connor pretended to be interested in something else.

"I so did not need to hear that about my parents," Kim smiled. She turned to Connor and Eric. "You guys ok?"

"Huh? What?" Connor said.

"Did you guys say something? I think we blanked out for a while," Eric asked.

"It's ok boys," the doctor chuckled. "I'm done embarrassing your parents and scarring you."

"Thank God," they muttered. Pierre laughed which prompted everyone else to laugh as well.

"Ok, all set," the doctor said as he closed his clipboard. "You're good to go Caroline. And remember what I said; take it easy."

"We'll make sure of it," Kim said. The doctor nodded and turned to leave. When the door closed behind him, Kim turned to her mom. "So, ready to go?"

"Yep," she smiled. "I can't wait to go home."

"Well, let's go then," Eric said. He held the door open, Connor got the bag and Kim helped Pierre with Caroline. The five of them left the hospital with smiles on their faces. When they got out to the car, Kim thought of an excuse to get sometime to call the others. After a few seconds, it came to her. turning to her parents she said, "Could you guys wait a few minutes, I need to use the bathroom."

"Sure thing sweetie," her dad said. "But hurry up."

"Alright," she said before she went out of sight. Making sure that she couldn't be seen or heard, she pulled out her phone. She heard the phone ring and waited until someone picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi it's me," Kim said. "Who exactly am I talking to?"

"Oh hey Kim, it's Wes."

"Hey Wes," she said. "Is everything ready? We're on our way home."

"Really? That's good," he said. "And yeah, everything's good. Rocky, Cam, Hayley and Alyssa were doing the food and they're done and we finished setting up everything else."

"Ok good," she let out a sigh. "We should be home in 20 minutes."

"Alright, we'll see you then," he said. "Bye Kim."

"See you soon." She hung up, waited a few minutes before she made her way back to the car. "Hey, sorry about that."

"It's ok," Pierre said. "So, you ready?"

"Yep," Caroline said. "Let's go home."

_(Back at the house)_

After he hung up the phone, Wes turned to the others. "Hey guys, that was Kim."

"What'd she say?" Tommy asked.

"They're on there way," he answered. "She said they should be here in 20 minutes."

"Alright guys," Tommy said. "Now that everything's done, why don't we all go get cleaned up." Twenty minutes later, everyone made their way back downstairs.

"So when are they going to be here?" Max asked. Before anyone could answer, they heard they car pulling into the drive. "Well that answers my question."

"Everyone get ready," Jason said. "And remember, not too much, she can't over do it." Seconds later, they heard the key in the lock and the door open. They saw Kim come through and waited until she passed and they saw Caroline to shout, "SURPRISE!!"

"Oh my God," Caroline said as her hand flew to her mouth. She looked around and saw the '_Welcome Home'_ banner and all the decorations. She saw the tables covered with food and felt warmth spread through her. Tears filled her eyes as she saw just what her children's friends did for her.

"Welcome home Mrs. D," Dustin said.

"You guys did all this?" she asked as she walked into her house. Her French accent becoming more pronounced.

"Well, we did do everything," Rocky said. "But it was Kim's idea."

Turning to her daughter, she grabbed her hand and said, "Thank you baby. I love it."

"No problem mom," Kim smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you guys," she turned back to the group. "Thank you too."

"You're welcome," Aisha said.

"Well, let's get started then," Caroline said. "I'm really starving." The group laughed and they proceeded to the tables. They talked and laughed as the food was passed, everyone having a good time. After the dishes were cleared away, and the kitchen cleaned up, everyone moved to the living room to relax.

"Well now what?" Caroline said. "I mean, if I know anything about my daughter, then I know that there's more."

"Well you do know her," Tommy said. Caroline laughed while Kim ducked her head.

"So what are we doing?" Danny asked, as he didn't really know what Kim had planned.

"Well," Kim started. "I thought that since it's been a while since I've sung for my mom, that it'd be a good idea to have kind of a mini concert." Cheers were heard from the originals and DT gang. The others looked intrigued at the idea.

"That's great sweetie," Pierre said.

"Well I'm not the only one singing," Kim said, to the surprise of most.

"Who else?" Blake asked.

"Kira and Connor as well," Kim replied.

"So Connor finally decided to let everyone know that he can sing, huh?" Eric said.

"Yep," he replied.

"Alright, well let's do this," Zack said. Everyone got themselves settled while Kim got her guitar and Kira's guitar.

"My guitar," Kira said when she saw it. "But…how did you…?"

"Connor grabbed it," Kim said.

"Connor?" Kira looked at her boyfriend.

"Since the first day I saw you, you've always had your guitar with you," he shrugged. "I thought you might need it."

"Thank you so much," she leaned up and kissed softly. When she pulled back, she whispered against his lips, "I love you."

"Love you too."

"If you two are quite finished making out," Caroline said, relishing the idea of teasing them like she did Kim and Tommy and seeing the blush on their faces. "I'd really like to hear you guys sing."

"Sorry mom," Connor said as he blushed and ducked his head.

"It's ok," Caroline said. "Anyways, I do believe we have some singing to hear."

"Alright," Kim said. "Why don't we get comfortable?" Everyone smiled and relaxed even more. Kim sat down and pulled her guitar on her lap. "So what do you guys want to hear?"

"Why don't you sing that song that was done for Tommy and Kira?" Trini said. "The one that you and Connor did together."

"Yeah, that's a really good song," Caitlin said.

"Are you guys sure?" she asked. "I mean, you have heard already."

"yeah, but we haven't," Taylor said. "And from the way that these guys are acting, it seemed as if it's a pretty good song."

"It really is," Krista said.

"Connor, you know I'm going to need your help again," Kim said.

He shrugged then smiled. "Sure, no problem."

"You guys ready?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," was the resounding reply from the group.

"Ok, here goes."

_(__**Kim**__)_  
_We were strangers  
Starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming  
What we'd have to go through  
Now here we are  
And I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you_

_(__**Connor**__)_  
_No one told me  
I was going to find you  
Unexpected  
What you did to my heart  
When I lost hope  
You were there to remind me  
This is the start_

_(__**Chorus**__—__**both**__)_  
_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

_(__**Verse 2**__)  
We were strangers (__**Kim**__)  
On a crazy adventure  
Never dreaming (__**Connor**__)  
How our dreams would come true  
Now here we stand (__**both**__)  
Unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you_

_(__**Chorus—both**__)_  
_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

(_**bridge--both**__)_  
_I knew there was somebody somewhere  
Like me alone in the dark  
Now I know my dream will live on  
I've been waiting so long  
Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

(_**chorus—both**__)_  
_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road  
Now and forever  
A Wonderful journey  
_  
_I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

_(yeah-ah-ah) --__**Connor**__  
Life is a road and I wanna keep going  
Love is a river I wanna keep going on....  
Starting out on a journey (__**Kim**__)  
Life is a road and I wanna going  
Love is river I wanna keep flowing  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you._

"Wow," Alyssa said. "That was amazing."

"That song was really beautiful," Marah said.

"I always knew you were a really good singer Kim," Kelly said.

"This might sound strange," Tori said, "But, has anyone ever told you that you sound exactly like the singer TCrane?" Kim and the others all exchanged smiles.

"I've heard it before," she smiled. "Another one?"

"Yes!"

"OK," she laughed. "This one is one of my favorite songs and it was pretty popular as well. I really love it because it reminds me of everything I tried to do and every doubt I had before I tried it. I had a lot of fun writing it. So here goes."

_**(Verse 1)**_  
_I can almost see it.  
That dream I'm dreaming, but  
There's a voice inside my head saying  
You'll never reach it  
Every step I'm takin'  
Every move I make  
Feels lost with no direction,  
My faith is shakin'  
But I gotta keep tryin'  
Gotta keep my head held high_

_**(Chorus)**_  
_There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb_

_**(Verse 2)**__  
The struggles I'm facing  
The chances I'm taking  
Sometimes might knock me down, but  
No I'm not breaking  
I may not know it, but  
These are the moments that  
I'm gonna remember most  
I've just gotta keep goin', and  
I gotta be strong  
Just keep pushing on, but_

_**(Chorus)**__  
There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb_

_There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb_

_Keep on movin'  
Keep climbin'  
Keep the faith baby  
It's all about, it's all about  
The climb  
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa_

"Kimberly," Alyssa spoke, "That's a really good song."

"Thank you."

"I've heard it before though," Tori said.

"Really?" Tanya asked, a smile building on her face.

"Where have you heard it?" Angela asked, also smiling.

"It's a song I heard a few years ago," Tori said. "It's by TCrane."

"So, do you like TCrane?" Jason asked.

"I love her," she replied. "She's an amazing singer."

"She really is," Taylor said. Eric and the others looked at her. "What?"

"Never pegged you as the type to listen to her," Eric said. "You always seemed to hate girls that liked pop."

"That may be so," Taylor answered. "But she's the exception. Her music is different. When you hear it, you actually feel as if the song was about you. It's not hard to like…no wonder she was really popular. I always said I'd like to meet her someday."

"Same here," Alyssa, Tori, and Kelly echoed.

"Well, you guys are in luck," Adam said.

"Why is that?" Kelly asked.

"Because we can make that happen," Zach said.

"Wait," Cole said. "You guys know TCrane?"

"Yes," Billy said. "Were you serious about wanting to meet her?"

"Yes!" the girls chorused. Kim, who was silent and smiling, got up and walked over to them. "Hello, my name is TCrane, it's nice to meet such huge fans." At the shocked look on their faces, she collapsed to the floor laughing. The others joined in as well.

"Is this a joke?" Tori asked. Getting herself under control, Kim rolled to her knees. "No, it's not a joke. I'm really TCrane. Ask these guys, they'll tell you."

"Is this true?" Sally asked.

"Yeah it is," Trent replied. "We found out last week."

"So you're really TCrane?" Taylor asked.

"Yep," Kim said. She had barely gotten the word out when Tori let out a high pitched scream.

"OH MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YOU'RE TCRANE!"

"Can you scream any louder Tor?" Shane asked as he rubbed his ears.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "It's just…..she's TCrane."

"In the flesh," Kim giggled.

"We know TCrane," Taylor said, her voice soft almost as if she was in a daze.

"Taylor you ok?" Eric asked his girlfriend.

"Yeah I'm fine," she waved him away. "It's still sinking in."

"How did you guys react when you found out?" Caroline asked as she watched them.

"Well, we kinda screamed," Ethan said. "Though it was Kira that figured it out."

"How?" Sally asked.

"They were singing for us," she replied. "Like they're doing now and it hit me. After I figured it out, Kim confirmed it."

"Wow," Cole said. "I never would've expected that."

"Ranger turned singer," Wes shook his head. "What will we do next?"

"Ranger?" Caroline said. "What do you mean 'ranger'?"

"Uh oh," Wes muttered.

"Well?" Pierre asked. "What did he mean by ranger?" the group looked at each other before looking back at him. No one said anything for a few minutes as they all tried to figure out a way out of it. Finally the silence was broken by Kim. "Guys, we have to tell them."

"What?"

"She's right," Tommy said. "There's no way out of this one. You guys don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"NO," Taylor said. "We're in this together. After all, that's what being a ranger was about; teamwork."

"So we're doing this?" Wes asked.

"Yes," Jen answered.

"Mom, dad what Wes meant is that at one point," she took a breath and let it out. "At one point most of us were Power Rangers."

"Oh my God," Caroline said.

"What do you mean 'most of you'?" Pierre asked. "Who wasn't a Power Ranger?" At that, Krista, Caitlin, Hayley, Angela, Eric, Sally, Marah and Kelly all raised their hands.

"The rest of you were rangers?" Caroline asked. When they shook their heads yes, she let out a breath. "My god."

"But how could all of you be rangers?" Pierre asked.

"We weren't all rangers at the same time," Connor said. "Between the group here; me, Trent, Kira, Ethan and Dr. O were the latest group."

"We were the Dino Thunder Rangers," Ethan said. "And Hayley was our tech advisor."

"Meaning, she helped Dr. O with everything," Kira said. She paused before she continued. "So technically, she was our co-mentor."

"Me, Shane, Cam, Hunter, Blake and Dustin were before them," Tori said. "We were the Ninja Storm Rangers."

"And we were based in Blue Bay Harbor," Hunter continued.

"Before them was us; the Wild Force team," Cole said. "Which is me, Alyssa, Taylor, Max and Danny, and just before us was the Time Force team—

"Which is us," Wes interrupted, pointing to him, Eric and Jen.

"And you guys were before them?" Pierre asked, referring to Kim and the rest.

"Not exactly," Trini said.

"Well, in some way, that is true," Kim said. "We were before them, but not the team before them."

"We were the original Power Rangers," Rocky said.

"Well, technically," Adam said. "Me, Aisha, Tanya and Rocky were more like second and third generation rangers. Whereas Tommy, Zack, Kim, Billy, Trini and Jason were the original Power Rangers."

Turning to her daughter, Caroline was shocked. "You were the original rangers?"

"Yes," Kim answered. "I was the pink, Jason red, Zack black, Trini yellow, Billy blue and Tommy was the green, followed by white then red then finally black."

"Four Colors?" Pierre asked. "You loved it too much?" everyone laughed at that.

"Wait, so that's you were always running off, or why you missed curfew so much," Caroline said.

"It was why we used to fall asleep in school, why we lied so much about where we were, and why we wore those "special" watches," Trini said. Caroline was silent as she thought about what she was just told.

"Mom, are you ok?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I just can't believe my daughter was a power ranger. Wait hang on, the power rangers didn't show up until your freshman year of high school. So that means that you were just fourteen when you became a ranger."

"Yeah," Kim said sheepishly.

"Kimberly…"

"Mom, look, I understand that you're probably upset, but it's been years," Kim interrupted her. "And we couldn't say anything because our identities were to be kept secret. If anyone knew we were rangers, do you know what our lives would've been like? I'm not proud that I kept it from you, but at the time it was what was best."

"Mrs. Dumas," Zack said. "I know you probably have questions or whatnot, but do you think you could wait until you're much better before you start asking them?"

"Please mom?" Connor asked.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll let it go for now."

"Thank you mom," Kim said. "Now let's get back to our concert. Since everybody has heard a song I did about Tommy, I think it's only fair that we hear what Connor wrote about Kira." Connor blushed when everyone started cheering. "You're mean Kim."

"Nope," she smiled. "But for that I think you should sing the one in the notebook." Connor's blushed deepened as he knew what she was talking about. "I'm sure no one wants to hear that."

"Actually," Ethan said. "We do."

"Do I have to?" he asked.

"Well, if you wrote it for me," Kira said. "Then I'd like to hear it…please?" looking at his girlfriend, Connor found he couldn't say no so he sighed and said. "Alright I'll sing it." Cheers went up around the room. Kim got up and moved to the piano that was there and Connor followed her. "Just so you know, I wrote this when I first realized that I had feelings for Kira."

"Aww," the girls chorused while Kira blushed.

"Here goes nothing," Connor said. He waited for Kim to start, and when she did, he let the words flow from memory.

_**(Verse 1)**__  
I hung up the phone tonight  
Something happened for the first time  
Deep inside  
It was a rush  
What a rush  
'Cause the possibility  
That you would ever feel the same way  
About me  
It's just too much  
Just too much_

_**(Pre-Chorus)**__  
Why do I keep running from the truth  
All I ever think about is you  
You got me hypnotized  
So mesmerized  
And I've just got to know_

_**(Chorus)  
**__Do you ever think  
When you're all alone  
All that we could be?  
Where this thing could go?  
Am I crazy or falling in love?  
Is it really just another crush?  
Do you catch a breath  
When I look at you?  
Are you holding back  
Like the way I do?  
'Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't going  
Away  
Going away_

_**(Verse 2)**__  
Has it ever crossed your mind  
When we're hanging,  
Spending time, girl, are we just friends  
Is there more  
Is there more  
See it's a chance we've gotta take  
'Cause I believe that we can make this  
Into something that'll last  
Last forever  
Forever_

_**(Pre-chorus)**__  
Why do I keep running from the truth  
(Why do I keep running)  
All I ever think about is you  
(All I ever think about)  
You got me hypnotized  
(Hypnotized)  
So mesmerized  
(mesmerized)  
And I've just got to know_

_**(Chorus)**_

_Going away  
Going away_

"Dude," Ethan said. "You really wrote that?"

"Yeah," Connor answered. "I was a little confused about how I felt, so I decided to write it down on paper. After I met Kim, she found it and helped me put music to it." With that he turned to Kira. "Kira?" everyone's attention turned to her. she was quiet, not saying anything only looking at Connor. After a few seconds, she got up and moved towards him. When she got there she pulled him into a kiss. She pulled back after a few seconds and said. "I love you and I can't believe you liked me so much that you wrote a song for me."

"So, does that mean you liked it?" he asked. She kissed him again. "No, it means I love it." Everyone cheered and Kira blushed as she moved back to her seat. The guys kept throwing out teasing remarks to Connor who just laughed them off. Caroline, relaxed in the arms of her husband, smiled as she looked at her kids and their friends. She was very happy that they had such a strong group of friends because she knew that they would need it, especially Connor and Eric. She wasn't looking forward to telling them about what really happened all those years ago, but she knew that they deserved to know. For a second, she felt sympathy for Sandra but it was gone just as quick as it came. _'Sandra deserves everything that's coming to her. because of her selfishness she will be cut completely out of their lives, especially if either one of them is anything like their sister.' _Switching her gaze to Kim, she let out a sigh as she thought on Ken. She knew that Kim had cut him from her life when she was a teen as her dad had disappointed her one too many times. Kim was skeptical, to say the least, when Caroline had married Pierre, but had warmed up to him. So much so, that she started calling him dad, something that had brought tears to both hers and Pierre's eyes the first time it happened. Looking at her kids, she knew that this happiness was just the proverbial calm before the storm.

"What are you thinking about Cherie?" Pierre asked his wife.

"I'm thinking about what's going to happen when I tell them the complete truth," she said softly. "I know that it's going to hurt them. Kim's already cut Ken from her life, but this will make it even worse….and as for Connor and Eric….if their anything like Kim, then Sandra will be cut from their lives as well. I'm just worried because I don't want to put them through the hurt that will come with it."

"I know Cherie," he said. "But you have to have faith. Your kids are strong, just like their mom. And with all their friends helping them, they will get through it. But enough worrying about what hasn't happened yet. Let's just enjoy this time with them."

"You're right," she sighed. They listened as Kira started singing her song. "What's the name of this song?"

"Patiently," he replied. "Your kids are in good hands."

"I know." Looking at them, she smiled. Though she didn't have a hand in raising Eric and Connor, she was proud of the men that they became. She sighed again as she knew that this happiness would soon be broken and she wished with all her heart that it didn't have to happen but knew it was inevitable. She would have to tell them the truth and they would all have to deal with the consequences that followed. Hearing the cheers and applause, seeing the laughter and joy on their faces, she knew that they would be able to handle it.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **this chapter was not that heavy. I know that most if not all of you wanted her to tell them, but I just thought they should relax before Caroline spills the beans. But they did find out about them being rangers though. Just think of this as the calm before the storm. Confrontations are still to come.

**To:**_  
JasonLeeScottFan: _the song was _'Keep Holding On' _by Avril Lavigne. It happens to be one of my favorite songs, so I'm glad you like it.

_Vampuric Spider: _yes, Kat will come back, though not anytime soon. A few things need to be sorted out first before she can

**Songs: **_At the Beginning_—Anastasia Soundtrack; _The Climb_—Miley Cyrus; _Crush—_David Archuleta; _Patiently—_Emma Lahana.


	23. Moment of Truth part 1

**A/N: **the next chapter of secrets…the long awaited next chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers, both new and old. You guys are amazing and you're reviews keep me going. Lol.

**Disclaimer: **I still own nothing….damnit. Oh well…on with the show

* * *

The next morning, everyone woke to the sounds and smell of food coming from the kitchen. Meeting at the top of the stairs, the gang looked at each other before heading down.

"Who's cooking?" Eric asked as he held onto to Taylor's shoulders.

"I don't know but it smells good," Jordan (from now on, that's how Connor's brother Eric is going to be called) said.

"Hey where's Jen?" Wes asked around a yawn.

"Don't know," Cole said.

"Let's just check the kitchen," Rocky replied. "All that smell is making me hungry."

"When are you never hungry?" Adam teased. The others laughed as a blush spread across Rocky's face.

"Shut up," he retorted. Still laughing, the group made its way to the kitchen. When they got there, they paused and watched as Kim, Connor, Trini, Aisha and Jen moved around preparing breakfast. As she was turning back from the fridge, Jen spotted them. "Hey guys."

"Hey," they answered. They looked around at the food that was on the table and what was still being prepared.

"Well don't just stand there," Aisha said. "Come in and grab a seat. We're just finishing up."

"Question," Trini asked as she turned from the stove. "Who here doesn't drink coffee, besides Kim, Kira and Angela?" Cam, Hunter, Danny, Tori and Cole raised their hands.

"Ok," Trini nodded before she turned back to the stove to finish up the tea. "We weren't sure, but Kim said we should make enough just in case." Connor moved from the toast and turned on the radio. He and Kim started humming when they heard a familiar song come on. It was in French, so the others didn't really know it; they were content just to sit and watch as the others finished up breakfast. The song finished and another one started. Kim laughed and moved to Connor and nudged him. He looked at her and watched as she cocked her head to the radio. He paused and listened to the words and smiled. The two worked side by side, moving when they needed something, humming along to the song. After awhile, Kim started singing along softly before she went louder.

__

I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave  
My heart won't move, it's incomplete  
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand

_**(Pre-Chorus)**__  
But how do you expect me  
to live alone with just me  
'Cause my world revolves around you  
It's so hard for me to breathe_

Kim picked up a spoon and held it like a mike. She danced around the kitchen as she sang the English version to the song. The others laughed as they watched her sing and dance.

_  
__**(Chorus)**__  
Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air  
Can't live, can't breathe with no air  
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there  
It's no air, no air  
Got me out here in the water so deep  
Tell me how you gonna be without me  
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe  
It's no air, no air_

_No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air_

As Kim was passing Connor she bumped him with her hips. He laughed and took the 'mike' from her.

_**(Verse 2--Connor)**__  
I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew  
Right off the ground to float to you  
There's no gravity to hold me down for real_

Kim smiled as she took the spoon back from Connor and walked over to Tommy. Tommy smiled as she came to a stop in front of him.

_But somehow I'm still alive inside  
You took my breath, but I survived  
I don't know how, but I don't even care_

Connor, following Kim's lead, moved over to Kira and pulled her into his arms. Kim and Connor looked at each other and smiled before turning back to Tommy and Kira.

_**(Pre-Chorus)**__  
So how do you expect me  
to live alone with just me  
'Cause my world revolves around you  
it's so hard for me to breathe_

Kim wrapped an arm around Tommy's neck to bring him down to her level. She kissed him before pulling back.

_**(Chorus--both)  
**__Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air  
Can't live, can't breathe with no air  
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there  
It's no air, no air  
Got me out here in the water so deep  
Tell me how you gonna be without me  
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe  
It's no air, no air_

Kim and Connor moved from the respective partners and went to each other. Kim put the spoon down as Connor took her in his arms. Trini and Aisha laughed as they finished up the breakfast. They passed it around to the others and watched as Kim and Connor danced around the room. _  
__**  
**__  
No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air  
No more  
It's no air, no air_

_**(Chorus x2)**_

_No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air  
No air, air_

As the song finished, Kim laughed as Connor dipped her. The two came up laughing and bowed as the others cheered.

"You guys were amazing," Krista smiled.

"There's nothing better than a little entertainment with breakfast," Zack laughed.

"You guys are welcome," Kim smiled. "Now let's eat before all this food gets cold." They agreed and everyone grabbed a plate. Breakfast was a very lively affair. The entire group was talking about past battles and monsters though none came close to the original rangers.

"I'm telling you guys," Zack said. "Rita had the worst monsters ever. She made a monster out of Kim's purse; she made one out of a lipstick; her monsters were always the funniest."

"Yeah well," Kim said. "They might've have been funny but they weren't any less dangerous."

"That's true," Jason agreed. Trent opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Caroline's arrival in the kitchen.

"Hi Caroline," he said. The others looked up and saw her. "Morning mom," Kim, Connor and Eric called. The others called out a good morning as well.

"Morning guys," she said. She looked around the kitchen and let out a soft whistle. "Whoa that's a lot of food."

"It's a lot of us," Tommy said. "Do you want anything? As you can see, we have plenty."

"Thank you," she replied as she moved in. Pierre came in a few minutes later and grabbed a plate. The talking grew again and the kitchen was filled with noise as before. The breakfast was finishing up and everyone took part in cleaning up. With so many people, within minutes, the table was cleared, the dishes went in the dishwasher, what couldn't fit was washed by someone, everything that was used to make breakfast was returned to its original spot. Everyone moved to the front room and was relaxing. Caroline looked at her kids, silently wondering if she should tell them everything now or if she should wait until later. So into her thoughts, she didn't notice Kim looking at her.

"Mom, are you ok?" she called. Caroline jerked her head up to look at her, and everyone looked at Caroline.

"I'm just wondering," Caroline said.

"About?" Kelly asked.

"Mom," Jordan said. "What is it?"

"I think it's time I tell you guys everything that happened between me, Jordan, Sandra and Ken all those years ago," she said. "But I'm not sure how you guys will react after you learn everything."

"I think we have a right to know," Connor said.

"He's right mom," Kim added. "So tell us."

Nodding her head, Caroline grabbed Pierre's hand in her own and said, "Alright, if you guys are sure…."

"We are," Kim, Connor and Jordan spoke as one. "Tell us everything mom, even if we already know some things," Kim said. "Just tell us everything."

"Ok," she said. "Well, Kim as you know, you're dad and I used to fight a lot. Sometimes it would get so bad that we wouldn't speak for a few days. Because of the new job that he got, he would travel a lot, so it made the whole 'not speaking' thing easier. Back in the summer of '86, we were kind of on trial break; that was when I met Jordan. See, I had just found out that Ken was cheating on me and I was thinking about what to do….

_Flashback  
summer of '86_

_Caroline Renoir-Hart had just dropped her seven year old daughter off at one of her best friends' house. Alicia Scott had been kind enough to take Kimberly for her. She just had to get away from it all. It was now June, and the place was clear and beautiful; but she couldn't even enjoy the warm summer breeze or the sunshine. She had just found out that her husband of eight years was cheating on her. She had always suspected it, but she never had any proof. __**'Well walking in on them surely qualifies as more than enough proof,'**__ she thought to herself. It didn't surprise her in the least. They fought all the time. Sometimes she wondered why they stayed together for as long as they did. She was glad that she had enrolled Kimberly into that toddlers' gymnastics class when she was younger, and was glad that she had friends. At least that way, her daughter wouldn't be subjected to the fights that were a constant thing in the house. Right now, she and her husband, Kenneth Hart, were on a trial separation. Caroline sighed and started walking again. She had her head down, so she wasn't paying attention and walked into someone, _

"_Oh I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't see you there." she raised her head and gasped softly. Looking back at her was a very handsome man with brown eyes that reminded of warm chocolate._

"_Are you ok?" the man asked. He looked into the woman's eyes and saw how beautiful she was._

"_I'm fine," she said, "I wasn't really paying attention like I said."_

…

_Jordan McKnight was walking through the Angel Grove Park. He and his wife Sandra were having problems and he just needed to get away. They had a huge fight two days ago, and he stayed away for fear that he would do something that he would regret. He got in his car and drove straight from San Francisco, until he had finally stopped in Angel Grove. He rented a hotel room to try and think about his marriage and where it was going. This morning he got up and decided to walk around. He stopped at the local youth center to grab a bite to eat, and then he headed out to the park. He walked and walked until the one thing he didn't want to do, he ended up doing; thinking about his wife. __**'What am I going to do? Sandy's been so angry lately. Ever since she found out she couldn't have kids. We fight all the time, and we haven't had sex in weeks, not since that doctor's visit. I want my wife back, but I don't know how much more I can take.' **__He sighed. He looked around, and then started walking again. His head down, he didn't see the woman coming, the next thing he knew he had walked into her, and she was already apologizing, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."_

"_Are you ok?" he asked, then looked at her face and was surprised at how beautiful she was. _

"_I'm fine," she said, "I wasn't really paying attention like I said." Caroline looked everywhere but the man's face. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks and felt heat where his hands rested on her hips. Jordan was struck silent by the woman in his arms. Her dark brown hair hung just below her shoulders and her eyes sparkled, despite the fact that she seemed so distracted. _

"_Are you sure you're ok?" he asked again. _

_Caroline giggled as she looked at him, "Yes I'm fine. I'm just a bit clumsy that's all."_

"_Ok," he said, "I'm Jordan by the way, Jordan McKnight."_

"_Caroline Renoir," she said. __**'I wonder why I didn't say my married name.'**_

"_Sounds French," he smiled._

"_It is," she said, "My parents came from France."_

"_Well Caroline, I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering if I could buy you lunch," he said, "As an apology for bumping into you." __**'What am I doing? I'm married. But in the few seconds that I've met her, I don't seem to really care.'**_

"_Sure, that would be good," she said with a smile. The two turned and started walking in the opposite direction, back to where the youth center was. On the way they talked about everything. She found out that he was a construction worker from Reefside, and he found that she was an Interior Designer. They talked all day and at the end, were sad to see the other go. They made plans for the next day, and went their separate ways. Caroline entered the Scott's home with the most genuine smile on her face for the first time in a while. Alicia looked up from making the kids something to eat, and watched as her best friend came into the house with a smile on her face. She smiled and said, "Wow, haven't seen that smile on your face in a long time."_

"_Hey," she smiled, "Was Kim good?" she knew she didn't have to ask, but sometimes she did anyway. Her daughter was not only hyper, but she had a temper as well._

"_Are you kidding?" Alicia said, "Of course she was good, besides she's my little helper." Alicia knew all about the little girl's temper. It only comes out when she gets really angry._

"_What do you mean?" Caroline asked. Alicia looked up and pointed to where Jason, Zack and Billy were sitting. Caroline turned and saw the three boys sitting there. Billy looked a little scared, whereas Jason and Zack looked beat and torn. Caroline shook her head and turned back to Alicia, "What happened?"_

_Alicia laughed as she looked at the boys, "Well apparently Jason and Zack thought that it would be fun to pull Kimberly's hair and then throw her doll into the small mud pit at the back."_

_Laughing and shaking her head, Caroline turned back to her, "I swear Lish, those boys don't learn."_

"_Tell me about it Carrie," Alicia said, "So, are you going to tell me what put that smile on your face?" at her words, Caroline couldn't stop the smile from coming on her face. She thought about the day she had had with Jordan. __**'I had more fun today than any other day with Ken. I wonder what we'll do tomorrow.' **__She was broken out of her thoughts by Alicia's voice, "CARRIE!"_

"_What?"_

"_Where were you girl?" Alicia asked with amusement shining in her eyes. _

"_I was just thinking about today," she sighed. _

"_What about today?" Alicia asked curiously. Her best friend looked like she was troubled over something. She hoped that it had nothing to do with Ken. Caroline gave pause as she thought about what she wanted to say. She looked over at her best friend. She and Alicia had been friends since she first came to the United States when she was eight years old. They hit it off instantly when Caroline was being teased on for her French accent, and Alicia came to her rescue. Ever since, they've been close. There was nothing that she couldn't tell her. She was scared that she would be angry, but remembered that Alicia was always there for her, no matter how bad she messed up. Sure she was close to the others, MaryAnn Taylor and Shiori Kwan, but in truth she hadn't met them until high school, and she hadn't met Aileen Cranston until she moved here with husband David and son Billy when Kim and the others were starting kindergarten. All four were like sisters, and they had mourned together when Aileen had died from cancer earlier this year, but she knew Alicia longer, so she knew that whatever she told her would stay between the two of them. "If I tell you something, will you keep it strictly between us? No telling Preston?" she asked, referring to her husband._

"_Carrie, you know I won't tell," Alicia said, now getting scared at the thought that something was wrong, "But I promise anyways if it makes you feel better."_

_Caroline took a deep breath and asked, "Have you ever felt something that was so new and it made you feel amazing, but it wasn't from where you thought it would be?" taking one look to make sure that the kids were ok, Alicia grabbed her friend's hands and led her to the back porch. _

"_Car, what's going on?" she asked, "What are you talking about?"_

"_I met someone," she said._

"_What do you mean, you met someone?"_

"_Well at the park," Caroline said, "I literally ran into him when I was walking. He was so sweet Lish. He offered to buy me lunch and I did, and we talked." Alicia looked on as Caroline talked. Her best friend's eyes sparkled as recalled her day. The only other time she had seen her eyes sparkled like that, was whenever it had something to with Kimberly. _

"_Oh Lish, we had so much in common," Caroline said, "We talked about everything. And you know what? For the first time in a long time, I felt special; like I was the only thing that mattered."_

"_Oh Carrie," Alicia said._

"_Do you know how nice it is to feel special by someone other than your daughter?" Caroline asked as she looked her in the eyes, "My daughter is the most important thing to me, and I love how she makes me feel special, but sometimes…"_

"_Sometimes it would be nice to feel that from someone that can relate to you," Alicia finished._

"_Exactly," she said, "And that's how he made me feel. I don't know how else to explain it Lish, I don't know why he makes me feel that way, but he does." _

"_Oh honey," Alicia said. She could see the emotions in her eyes and could see that her friend was staring to have some sort of feelings for this guy. "I was always told that the heart wants what it wants, and you can't help who you like, and as your best friend, it's my duty to let you know when you screwing up."_

"_Of course," Caroline said, wondering where she was going._

"_But it's also my duty to stick by you, no matter what," Alicia said, "So if you like this guy, then be honest with him and be sure this is what you want. Remember that what you do, affects not only you, but that sweet seven year old girl in there that is counting on her mom."_

"_I know," Caroline sighed, "I'd die before I do anything to hurt her, but I can't help how I feel. I know it's only been a few hours, but…"_

"_I'm in no way condoning adultery, and you know what happened with Ken, all I'm saying, all I'm asking is for you to think about this."_

"_I will," Caroline said, and then moved to hug her._

"_So tell me," Alicia teased, "Is he cute?"_

"_Alicia!" Caroline laughed._

"_Well that answered that question," Alicia said as she hugged her again, "Remember, be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."_

"_I will." True to her word, Caroline told Jordan everything the next time she saw him. He was very understanding and told her about his problems as well. Over the next few weeks, they spent most of their free time together. Jordan would drive down from San Francisco and they would spend days together. It was in September, when she found out that she was pregnant. She was scared and excited at the same time. Alicia, of course, was the first one that she told. Ken was overseas on business, had been ever since she caught him with his co-worker, and was due back in October. She wasn't sure how to tell Jordan. With Alicia, she went to the doctor and found out that she was only two months pregnant and she was due in April of next year. Because of his construction job, Jordan was now on the road a lot, so it was easy to keep it from him. As her pregnancy went along, Alicia helped her hide it well so that no one would know. It was around thanksgiving, when she had gone in for a sonogram, that she was told she was expecting twins. Alicia had been worried at how big she was getting for just four months and had convinced her to get checked out. She had also convinced her to tell Jordan about the pregnancy. Around the same time, Ken Hart had come back into town, wanting them to try to reconcile after everything. She was confused as to what to do, being that she still loved him. She had told Jordan, and he was very excited about becoming a father as well. She told him about Ken, and was shocked when he told her the exact thing about Sandra, his wife. Ken understood that she had a daughter to think of, and that she was still in love with her husband, because he was still in love with his wife. It was around New Year's when everything went downhill. Ken had decided to surprise his wife by coming home early and taking her out to dinner. He entered the bedroom, and was shocked at the sight. His wife, his six months' pregnant wife was standing there in nothing but a skirt and bra. _

"_What the hell?" he asked outraged._

_Caroline turned towards the doorway in shock, "Ken, what are you doing home?" _

"_I came home to surprise you, but I guess the surprise is on me," he said, "You've been cheating on me?"_

"_Ken, it's not like that," she said. _

"_Oh it's not?" he snarled, "You're pregnant Caroline, and I know it's not by me. Which means you've been cheating on me, how could you?"_

_That made Caroline angry, "How could I? You cheated on me first Ken. You fight with me all the time, you're never home. My God, your own daughter sees more of Preston than she does her own father."_

"_Don't put this on me," he said._

"_Why shouldn't I?" she asked, "Don't play innocent. I never set out to cheat on you, but you set out to cheat on me. You hurt not only me, but Kimberly as well."_

"_Don't bring my daughter into this."_

"_Your daughter?" she asked, "You know nothing about 'your' daughter."_

"_I do."_

"_Oh really?" she asked, "Do you even know what her favorite color is? Do you know the reason why she was in the hospital after Easter, after Aileen died?"_

_Ken could say nothing. But it seemed that she wasn't waiting on him as she continued talking, "She had a meet, and she had heard us fighting nights before it happened. She was also sick but didn't say anything because she thought that we would be angry at her if she didn't do the meet. She thought if she did the meet, then we would stop fighting. Our daughter put her health at risk because of you, because of us." She would never forget how she had felt when Alicia had told her that. It had hurt to know that she was partially to blame for her daughter being hospitalized. _

"_So what?"_

"_So I met someone," she said, "Someone that made me feel special; special in a way that I hadn't felt in a long time."_

"_Well no wife of mine is having some bastard's kid," he said._

"_I'm not having an abortion," she said, shocked at the thought. _

"_Who said anything about that?" he sneered, "Well obviously it's too late anyways. No, I have an idea." And with that he walked off, leaving his wife very much confused and dreading what his idea was. She called Alicia and Jordan and told them what had happened. Two weeks later, Caroline was sitting on her couch, her daughter chattering away about her upcoming birthday. She heard the doorbell and moved to get it. As she opened the door, she stood there in shock. Standing on the other side was none other than Sandra McKnight, Jordan's wife. _

"_Can I come in?"_

"_Sure," she said, "Kimberly could you go to your room please?"_

"_But mommy, I'm not done," Kimberly whined._

"_Kimberly Annabelle Hart, don't you dare throw a tantrum and do as I say," she said sternly. She did not want her daughter to witness whatever was going to happen._

"_Fine mommy," Kim said as she picked up her doll and made her way up the stairs to her room._

"_What can I do for you?" Caroline asked._

"_Oh cut the pleasantries," Sandra said, "You know why I'm here. Apparently you've been seeing my husband since last summer."_

"_How do you know that?" Caroline asked confused._

"_I think you know," Sandra said. Caroline looked at for a minute before it dawned on her, "Ken told you."_

"_Yes, he also told me that you are very pregnant," she said, "And I can see that."_

"_What are you doing here? What do you want?"_

"_Your baby," she said with a small smile._

_A chill went up Caroline's spine. There was no way she heard her right, "What?"_

"_You heard me," Sandra said, no smile on her face now, "I'm sure you know that I can't have kids, and I know that Jordan would love it, you already have a child, so I think it's only fair."_

"_Fair? How is that fair?"_

"_Because I want kids and you are pregnant with __**my **__husband's baby," she said, "So either give me the baby, or…"_

"_Or what?" Caroline asked._

"_Or lose your daughter," she shrugged. She stood up and walked to the door, "You have until March to decide. Be happy that I'm giving you time." And with that, she walked out the door. Caroline sat there, long after she left. She kept going over the conversation in head. In a daze, she stood and walked to her daughter's room. She opened the door, and watched as her daughter was playing house. Her heart ached at the thought of losing her and at losing the twins. She didn't know what to do. She went to Alicia's place and cried on her shoulder as she told her what happened. Her daughter's birthday came and went. She was still seeing Jordan and had told him what happened. They talked and as much as it hurt, she decided that she couldn't lose her daughter. She had decided to give him the twins. She had also thought about Ken. She didn't want her kids to grow up being hated by him, or even calling him dad. She thought about her marriage; the fights, the angry words, and decided that raising one child was bad enough; she didn't want to put two more through it. And she also knew without a doubt that they would always be the target of Ken's anger, and she didn't want that. Jordan had understood when she told him. March came and went and it was now April. Her due date was fast approaching. She was standing around at a barbecue that the Kwan's were having when her water broke. She was rushed to the hospital immediately. Alicia called Jordan discreetly and let him know what was up. Afterwards she went to be with her friend. When the twins were born, they didn't have a name yet, so they were called baby1 and baby2. The doctors had shoved everyone but Alicia out of the room, saying that they could visit tomorrow. As soon as the other left, Jordan came._

"_Hey, how are you?"_

"_I'm fine," Caroline said, "Come meet our sons."_

"_You mean __**our **__sons?" Sandra asked as she came in the room. Caroline shook her head, not wanting to fight after just giving birth, "So have you decided?" Caroline looked down at the sleeping boys in her arms. She loved them with all her heart, and it would be hard to let go, but she knew she had to. "Yes I have."_

"_Well?"_

"_I'm going to let the boys go with their father," she said with tears in her eyes. "Better him than some stranger. And I know that despite our differences, you will love them as your own. Would you like to hold them?"_

_Sandra was shocked. She honestly hadn't expected her to do what she was doing. As she took one of the boys in her arms, she felt joy go through her, "What are their names?"_

"_They don't have any yet," Alicia said as she watched the woman. She didn't trust her, but she did seem to be genuinely captivated by the baby._

"_Actually I have an idea for names," Jordan said._

"_What?" Alicia asked._

"_Well I was thinking that baby1," he said referring to the baby in his wife's arms, "Is going to be called Eric Jordan McKnight, and baby2 is Connor Jayden McKnight." Caroline and Alicia both gasped softly at the names. Eric was the shortened form of Caroline's middle name, Erica; and Jayden was a combination of her parents names, Jamison and Dennica. __**'So that's why he asked me my full name and that of my parents.'**_

"_I know that you love these babies, but I do have one request," Sandra said. Every looked at the auburn haired woman. _

"_What is it?" Caroline asked._

"_You are to stay away from the twins," Ken said coming into the room, startling them._

"_What?!"_

"_You heard me," he said, "I let you give birth to them, now if you want to see your daughter then you agree." _

"_I already agreed to give them up, why can't that be enough?" she asked._

"_Because I don't want them confused as to who their parents are," Sandra said calmly. _

"_Now wait just a minute," Alicia started only to be stopped by Caroline's arm, "No wait Lish. It's ok."_

"_What?" she said incredulously, "You can't be serious."_

"_I am," she said, "I can't lose my daughter. It sucks to have to choose, but I can't allow them to be brought up in that house, where they might feel Ken's anger. Kim's his daughter so she won't feel much, but the twins aren't."_

"_You're braver than I am," Jordan said._

_She gave a tiny smile and looked at Sandra, "Just promise me something."_

"_What?"_

"_Promise to love them and be there for them," she said as the tears flowed down her cheeks, "Always put them first, and let them know every day that they are loved."_

"_I will," Sandra said, "And I know it may not seem like it, but I am sorry." The nurse came in and wrote up the birth certificate with the names. The twins stayed in the hospital overnight, and then left along with Sandra and Jordan. Caroline cried in Alicia's arms as she watched them leave. Later at her house, after many explanations as to why she didn't have the boys, she sat in her room silently crying. Her door pushed opened and she looked up to see her eight year old daughter looking at her, "Mommy, why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?"_

_Caroline gave her daughter a watery smile. She leaned over and pulled her onto the bed with her, "Yes sweetie, mommy had a bad dream." __**'One I wish I could wake up from.'**__ "But you know what?"_

"_What mommy?" young Kimberly asked._

"_I'm going to be fine because I've got you," she said as she kissed her, "Now let's get some sleep. Mommy's tired."_

"_OK," Kim said, "I love you mommy."_

"_I love you too baby." They fell asleep in each other's arms. Weeks went without word from Jordan. She heard from him in June, one year after they met. He had told her why he chose to name the kids after her, saying that by doing that, she would always be with them, even if they didn't know it. She knew that he and his wife had moved from San Francisco, but to where she had no clue. Months turned into years, as she went on with her life. She still thought about them, but knew in her heart they were ok. She had finally divorced from Ken and had gotten remarried to French artist and art dealer, Pierre Dumas. Pierre knew all about what had happened, and had been there when she finally broke down and let out the emotions that she had been holding inside since she gave her boys up. She moved to Paris, her homeland, leaving her daughter behind. She was sad, but knew that she was well taken care of. As it was, her mind would wonder about her three kids, but she knew deep down that she would see them again and couldn't wait for the day when it did. _

_End flashback_

The room was silent when she finished. Tears were in her eyes as well as the other girls. Caroline wiped her tears and looked at her kids. She gave them a few minutes as she knew that what she just told them needed to sink in.

"Why?" Jordan asked. "How could she do that? How could she look at us and smile at us for our whole lives knowing what she did?"

"Mom?" Kim called tears in her eyes.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Was Ken really going to take me away from you?"

"Yes he was," Caroline replied. "Just because he didn't want me to raise the twins or to show that I had two other kids, he was going to take you away. I didn't want to lose the boys but I didn't want to lose you either."

"You know," Kim swallowed. "It really shouldn't surprise me, I mean after everything that he did, I shouldn't be surprised. I thought that there was nothing else about him that could make me hate him, but I guess I was wrong." She let out a bitter chuckle. "Now I know how much I meant to him." Tommy, who was sitting next to her, pulled her into his arms.

"I can't believe this," Connor said. "I can't believe her. How could she be so cold-hearted? She took delight in separating a mother from her kids. I mean, it wasn't enough that she took us from you, but she didn't even allow you to see us. What kind of a woman is she?"

"I can't imagine how you coped with what happened Caroline," Taylor said.

"If it wasn't for Alicia, I'm not sure if I could have handled it," Caroline said.

"I can't believe my mom knew," Jason said.

"Alicia was my best friend," Caroline said. "She's been my best friend since I was eight years old. With my brother Carson in high school, I didn't really have anyone to protect me. On my first day of school, I was teased a lot because of my accent and she stood up for me. I needed to tell someone and she knew me better than anyone else. I made her promise to never tell anyone, especially your father, and she didn't. She kept my secret."

"Caroline wanted to keep in contact, despite what Sandra and Ken said, as did Jordan," Pierre said. "But they couldn't. Sandra threatened to help Ken take Kim if either one of them made contact with each other. Not wanting that to happen, Jordan decided to move to Reefside. Caroline only knew that they moved, but she had no idea where. She didn't even have a clue that they only moved about a half hour away."

"This is…this is a lot to take in," Connor said. "The woman I thought of as my loving mother for the past nineteen years is actually a cold-blooded kidnapper."

"What are you guys going to do?" Kira asked.

"I don't know," Jordan shook his head. "The only thing we can do right now is wait. We're here and she's still in the U.S."

"What do you guys plan to do?" Ethan asked. "When you see her I mean?"

"To tell you the truth," Connor said. "Right now I'm glad that we're in Paris. If she was in the same room as I was….what she did was despicable. I can't believe she has the heart to call herself a mother. She basically stole us from our real mom and even went so far as to threaten to take away Kim just to get what she want. Trust me, when we go back home she's going to tell us exactly why she did what she did. And then I'm cutting her from my life."

"Same here," Jordan said. "For her to do something like that, it tells me that she's not someone that I want in my life anymore. You know, I always thought she was a good person, I mean, she was my mom. I trusted her."

Kim turned to Connor, "You'd think we'd be use to betrayal by now. I mean, first Kat and now this."

"What do you mean 'first Kat'?" Tori asked.

"Who's Kat?" Shane continued.

"Kat or rather Katherine Hillard was the second pink ranger," Aisha said. "She was our friend but she betrayed us in the worst way possible."

"How?" Cole asked.

"I'm sure guys heard about the infamous letter, right?" Kim said.

"You mean the letter that was written to Tommy?" Wes asked. "Yeah, we heard of it. We also heard of more letters that was written."

"Yes well all those letters were done by none other than Kat," Tanya said.

"Except the one that Tommy got," Kim injected. "I actually wrote that one."

"But if it wasn't for Kat," Billy said. "Then you never would have written it in the first place."

"What happened?" Jen asked.

"Kat was really jealous of Kim and her relationship with us," Adam started. "She was also in love with Tommy and wanted him for herself."

"So she decided to send a letter to Kim saying how no one cared about her anymore because we didn't tell her that her boyfriend was cheating on her," Tanya said.

"When Kim got the first letter, she called Tommy's cell phone to find out what was going on," Rocky said.

"But Kat answered and she made me think that she was pregnant with Tommy's baby," Kim continued. "I hung up and I didn't call Tommy again. After that, I got a few more letters and some pictures as well."

"Kim had no choice but to believe that I was cheating on her," Tommy said. "So she wrote me the letter."

"A few days after the letter," Kim said. "I felt like I should try Tommy once more, but I didn't want to talk to him personally. So I had a roommate call his place and she was told that he went skiing with Kat. But that wasn't the last time. The same roommate convinced me that I should hear everything from Tommy's mouth, he at least owed me that much."

"So she contacted Zordon and he allowed her to teleport to Angel Grove," Zach said.

"Which would have been a good thing except for the fact that she came after everyone else got letters as well," Rocky said. "We thought that Kim wrote them but it was actually Kat that did. She wanted to make sure that we would hate Kim and want nothing more to do with her."

"When Kim came to look for us," Billy said. "We were all angry over the letters. We were talking about them and trying to figure out why she wrote them as they were very hurtful."

"We didn't know that she was close to us and she heard us say a lot of things," Adam said.

"When I heard them sounding angry at me," Kim said. "I left without telling them I was there. I walked around town for a few hours and ended up back at the youth center."

"Which was a bad thing," Tommy said. "Kat had tried to set me up on a date, and the girl didn't show up so she ended having the date with me. Kim came into the youth center and saw us. Now I didn't see her, but Kat did."

"When I saw them," Kim said. "That's when I actually and truly believed that the letters were true. I went back to Zordon and asked him to teleport back to Florida and to tell no one that I was there."

"Kat did all that?" Alyssa asked. When she saw them nod, she shook her head. "Damn. Why would she do that? How could she do that?"

"She was really jealous of Kim," Jason said. "She felt that everyone was treating Kim better than they were treating her. She even blamed Kimberly for it. She felt that Kim didn't deserve being a ranger or being our friend."

"Hey Tommy," Eric called.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you go after Kim?" Eric asked. "I mean, if it was me that got a letter breaking up with me from my girlfriend, then I'd want to know. If Kim came after you, then why didn't you go after her?" all eyes turned to Tommy. That was actually an answer that they all wanted the answer to.

"It was because of Kat," he replied.

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked.

"At first I didn't want to go on the ski trip," Tommy said. "But I changed my mind and I did. A few days later, Kat stopped by the house. I told her that I couldn't believe that Kim would break up with me like that and I wanted to talk to her…to hear it from her mouth. But she stopped me. She told me that she had called Kimberly and that Kim had told her about her new boyfriend and how she didn't want to talk to me, that it would be better if we cut all ties to each other. I can't believe I believed her."

"It's ok Tommy," Tanya said. "She was very convincing. I mean, she fooled all of us. Even me, and I was her best friend."

"Kat and Sandra sound like sisters," Jordan said. "Two hateful bitches that care nothing about anyone else but their own self."

"Jordan, language," Caroline said, though secretly she agreed with the description.

"I'm not going to apologize mom," Jordan said. "She deserves that and everything else. She is nothing more or less than a bi-….I mean, a female dog." He had changed his tongue at the glare from his mom. The others laughed.

"So what now?" Danny asked.

"Whoa déjà vu," Ethan laughed.

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked.

"Last time someone asked that it was just after we found out everything that Kat did," Caitlin said. "It's turning into a motto for what you say after hearing bad news." Everyone laughed at that.

"Well," Hayley said. "This is only the second week of our little reunion, and everyone can only stay for another week, right?" At this, everyone nodded.

"So how about we finish out this week and we can head back home three days from now on Saturday?" she said.

"That sounds like a plan," Kira said. "I mean, if everyone wants to?"

"We have no problem with it," Tori said. "Tay, what about you guys?"

"Hello?" Taylor and Alyssa said. "We're in Paris. Do you think we would give up three more days of this? No way."

"So it's agreed?" Hayley said. "We're going to spend Thursday and Friday in Paris and leave on Saturday?"

"HELL YEAH!!!" the entire group cheered.

"Well," Caroline said. "It looks like I'm going to have to go shopping." The group's laughter echoed throughout the room.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **so that's that. The others finally know exactly what happened between Caroline, Sandra, Ken and Jordan al those years ago. Now all that's left is to 'talk' with Sandra and Ken. Connor, Jordan and Kim's reaction might not be what you expect but bear in mind that Ken and the others are not there. They do feel angry, but they can't really express it, at least not yet. They have to wait until they get back to the U.S.

yes, Caroline telling them is actually the flashback chapter. it made no sense to re-write when i already had everything she was going to tell them as a separate chapter. Next chapter should be up by weekend.

**A/N 2: **this is only the first part of the 'confrontations'. like i said, Connor and Jordan still have to talk to Sandra and maybe Kim will talk to Ken. Kat still has an appearance to make.

_Song: __**No Air **__by Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown. _


	24. Bridges

**A/N: **yes…the LONG awaited chapter is here. Over a month you guys had to wait and I'm sorry. So no more talking. On with the reading. Oh before I forget, this chapter is done for Falcon4Crane who thought it would be a good idea to show the group having fun in Paris. hope you like it. thanks to everyone that reviewed or read the story

**Disclaimer:** I own no one and nothing but Marie-Claude and Cheyenne

_

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__Last time on Secrets;_

"_So it's agreed?" Hayley said. "We're going to spend Thursday and Friday in Paris and leave on Saturday?"_

"_HELL YEAH!!!" the entire group cheered._

"_Well," Caroline said. "It looks like I'm going to have to go shopping." The groups laughter echoed throughout the room._

_(Now—Part 1; Fun Time in Paris)_

The gang had the best time the last two days in Paris. Kim and Connor had become the unofficial guides to the group and had a lot of fun showing them around. When they got up on Thursday, they got dressed and decided to sight see. Kim took them to the Louvre and to see the Hall of Notre Dame, where they immensely enjoyed themselves. They walked through L'Arc de Triumph and had lunch in a tiny café just a few blocks down. It was now afternoon and Hayley suggested they see at least another museum before going over to the Eiffel Tower. Nodding their agreements, the group finished their lunch and left. When they got there, they looked around and came across a picture of Mona Lisa. The girls, minus Kim, sighed while the guys looked at each other.

"Is this for real?" Eric asked.

"I'm not sure," Shane replied. "Maybe it's a joke." The guys snickered, but unfortunately, the comment was heard by the girls.

"How can you say that Shane?" Kelly asked her boyfriend.

"The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world," Sally said. "It's a masterpiece."

"It's tiny is what it is," Jordan muttered, the other guys nodded in agreement.

"It is," Wes said. "I mean, I appreciate art, but this is just ridiculous. People from all over the world fawn over it, but it's slightly disappointing."

"Wesley!" Jen cried. "The Mona Lisa is very beautiful. It was carefully created and is loved by many."

"We don't mean to step on any toes," Tommy said. "But even I have to agree. The woman is barely smiling and she's not all that beautiful either. The only reason the Mona Lisa is so revered is because it's the last work of Da Vinci and people think that it's actually a self-portrait." He paused. "Though why he wanted to paint himself as a woman, I don't know."

"Maybe he was gay," Kim said. The girls whipped around, thinking it was one of the guys that said it, but were shocked when they realized it was Kim.

"Kimberly!" Trini scolded. "How can you say such a thing?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Seriously Tri? It wasn't that hard." The boys snickered once more. "I agree with the guys. I didn't like it the first time I saw it and nothing has changed since then. The portrait really is small and she is barely smiling. Now I understand that in those days, women didn't really have as much freedom, but still. No smile was even better." At the looks on their faces she clarified. "OK look, I can see the appeal. I mean, her smile is barely there so it gives off a little bit of mystery…but that's it. That's truly all the appeal that I can see. Other than that, I really don't like the painting."

"Well said Kim," Jason said.

"Let's just agree to disagree," Aisha said. They all agreed and moved on to the next one. They walked around some until they heard Rocky's voice.

"OH MY GOD!" Rocky squealed as he pointed to a portrait. "Look! It's Moulin Rouge."

"Oh my God, where?" Jason asked as he walked over to him. When he got to where Rocky was, he lifted a hand to his forehead. With a soft sigh he spoke. "Oh wow just wow. Rocky, it's like my favorite show; the crying and the romance."

"Oh Jase," Rocky sighed as he grabbed Jason's hands between his. "I didn't know you loved it so much."

"I should Rocky," Jason responded, trying very hard to keep as straight face as the boys chuckled and the girls frowned. "You like totally made me watch it so many times. Like God."

"I am so sorry baby," Rocky sighed. "How can I ever repay you?"

Jason pulled his hand from Rocky's and turned his head with his chin in the air and crossed his arms. "I don't know." By now, the guys were holding on to each other trying to control their laughter. Rocky paused as he thought on what to say. He looked up at Jason and touched his cheek.

"Baby, if I could, I would lasso the moon and give it to you."

"JASON HOW COULD YOU?" Zack demanded as he strode over to them. "I gave you my heart and you cheat on me."

"Zack, baby," Jason pleaded looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights. By now, the trio had gathered attention from the other viewers. "It's not what you think."

"Jase," Rocky asked. "What's going on?" he turned to Zack. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zackary of course," Zack gave a sniff of disdain as he looked back at Rocky. "And who are you and what are you doing with my guy?"

"Your guy?" Rocky asked as he snapped his fingers. "Boy, please. Jase, baby, tell this _thing_ that you're with me."

"No, tell him your with me," Zack said. "You know what? Forget this. I will fight you for him."

"OH yeah?" Rocky asked as he stepped over to Zack.

"Yeah," Zack answered. "

"On guard," Rocky said as he held his hand like a sword. Zack took a similar formation and the two mock dueled. By now, everyone observing wasn't even trying to hide their laughter. After a few minutes, both guys stopped.

"Hey wait." Rocky said. "Why are we fighting each other? We should be fighting him."

"You're right," Zack said as they both turned to Jason. Looking at the two with fear, Jason said, "Guys….can't we talk about this?"

"No," they chorused.

Jason's eyes darted around nervously before they landed on Tommy. "Tommy, baby help!"

"Tommy?" Rocky questioned.

"Baby?" Zack said.

"Tommy," Kim asked. "What's going on? Why is that man calling you baby?"

"Uh….uh," Tommy said. "Kim I'm sorry, but it was just a one time thing."

"You and Jason?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," He pleaded. He turned to Jason. "Sorry Jase, but I choose her."

"But I don't choose you," Kim said shocking him. "I'm sorry too Tommy." she wringed her hands nervously. "See, it all happened so fast and I couldn't stop it…not that I wanted to…but now I'm love and I don't want to fight it."

"What?!" he asked. "With who?"

"With me," both Trini and Aisha chorused. The two turned to each other. "Hey, she's with me." Aisha said.

"No," Trini said. "She's with me."

"Actually," Kim said. "I'm with no one. I changed my mind."

"What?!" Trini said. "I put so much into this. Kim….you have to die."

"No, please don't," She said as she backed away. Trini walked over to her and grabbed her around her waist and started tickling her.

"Alright…alright," Kim said between laughter. "I'm sorry."

"How about we all choose each other?" Zack asked. They looked each other and nodded.

"I love you guys," Tommy said as they all came together. When they hugged, the group around them applauded.

"Très magnifique," a young woman said.

"Merci," Kim replied.

"I can't believe you guys did that," Taylor smiled. "You guys are crazy."

"We know," Jason laughed.

"But we had to," Rocky continued. "Do you know how often we watched that movie?"

"The girls liked it too much," Jason added.

"And when I saw the portrait that said 'Moulin Rouge', I just had to do it," Rocky finished.

"It was funny," Jen chuckled. "I don't think the people thought they would see something like that when they came here." The group chuckled as they turned to leave. Their final stop for the day was the Eiffel Tower, and they were all excited, even Kim and Connor who's been there before.

"I can't believe we've been here for almost a week and we are just seeing the Eiffel Tower," Adam said.

"Maybe we were saving the best for last," Cole shrugged.

"But this isn't the best part of Paris," Kim said.

"And it's definitely not the last," Aisha added. The two girls looked at each other with a glint.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kim asked Aisha.

"If you're both thinking what I think you're thinking," Trini cut in. "Then you are definitely thinking what I'm thinking."

"Huh?" all the guys said.

"So you're definitely thinking…" Aisha started.

"Oh yeah," Kim said. "Though should we?"

"Definitely!" Trini said. "We can't not do it."

"I know right?" Aisha said. "But what about—

"Kim can handle that," Trini cut her off.

"It won't be easy," Kim said.

"That's why you're doing it," Aisha said.

"But what if they—

"Then we just deny—

"Seriously?" Aisha asked.

"Yep," Trini said.

"You think they'll go for it?" Aisha asked again.

"Oh yeah," Kim said. "Do you really think that they'll give—

"You're right," Aisha said. "So, who's going—

"Let Kim do it," Trini said.

"No," Kim said. "How about you, but—

"If they _do_ do that," Trini smiled. "Then you—

"Exactly," Kim cut her off. The three girls smiled at each other before they turned back to the others. Shocked and confused faces greeted them, except for Connor (who was busy watching another painting, but still close enough to hear the conversations), Jason, Rocky, Tommy, Zack, Billy and Adam.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Jordan asked.

"That was Kim, Aisha and Trini," Billy said.

"You guys understood that?" Hunter asked.

"Hell no," Rocky said. Jason and Tommy took one look at the girls and backed away.

"NO!" Jason said forcefully.

"Make that a HELL NO!" Tommy added. "We are NOT doing that."

"You have no choice Handsome…" Kim started.

"You're doing it whether you want to or not…" Trini continued.

"So don't even bother fighting," Aisha finished.

"You can't make us," Jason said crossing his arms. Kim raised an eyebrow and stepped in front of him.

"Do you really want it to come to that?" she asked him. "Because if you do, you know I won't have any mercy on you." At the veiled threat in her words, Jason paled slightly and swallowed, as did Tommy. The two looked at each other before sighing in resignation.

"Fine," Tommy said, "But if we have to they have to as well."

"They are," Aisha said.

"Ok, time out," Eric said. "What just happened?"

Connor, who was still looking at the portrait, answered absentmindedly. "Kim, Aisha and Trini are planning to go shopping; they know we'd put up a fight, so Kim's going to be the one to convince us, because let's face it, all the guys are more afraid of her than their own girlfriends; oh and Dr. O and Jason tried to get out of it, but Kim just threatened them and they gave in, but, deciding that they weren't the only ones that had to suffer, they dragged the rest of us into it." He turned away from the portrait to see the others, minus Kim, looking at him in shock. "What?"

"Dude," Ethan said, "How the hell did you pick that up?"

"Seriously," Krista said. "I'm a girl, and even I didn't get that."

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't hard." Seeing the disbelief on their faces, he rolled his eyes. "I know my sister, so I know that she is the ultimate shopper. And from what I know about Trini and Aisha is that when the two of them get with Kim, they shop. They haven't been on a shopping trip since we got here and I know Kim knows where the major and best shopping stores are and that she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to show them. About the part with Dr. O and Jason, I've heard enough stories from Kim where she and the other girls practically had to force them to go shopping with them when they were in high school." He shrugged. "Besides, they're girls and what's the one thing that girls do that they consider to be the best time of their lives? They shop."

"Think you can teach me how you did that?" Eric asked. When the others laughed, he cried out, "What, you think I'm kidding? Do you know how handy that would be when you girls (referring to Jen, Alyssa and Taylor) get started?"

"He's right," Wes chipped in. "You guys are as bad as they are when you get going. It would be nice to learn how to do that."

"Are we going to stand here all day or are we going to go see the Eiffel Tower?" Tanya asked.

"The only reason you're in such a hurry, is because you want to experience shopping with the queen herself," Rocky said.

"Of course I do," Tanya replied. "Kim is in her element here, so I definitely want to."

"Just so you know," Kim said. "I'm going all out."

"Fine with me," Tanya said.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Tommy asked and Jason sighed.

"Power shopping with Kim…" Adam said. "I wished I stayed back at the house." They laughed as the left the museum.

"She's not really that bad?" Blake asked. "Is she?"

"You'll find out," Zack said. The gang quickly made their way to the tower, where they proceeded to the top. As the gazed out at the view, they all sighed in amazement.

"You know," Kim said as she leant back against Tommy, who responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. "No matter how many times I see this, it still has the power to amaze me."

"I know what you mean," Connor said as he rested his head against Kira's shoulder.

"It's beautiful," Kira breathed. She shuddered when Connor placed a small kiss on neck and a shiver went through her body when he whispered in her ear;

"Not as much as you," he placed a kiss on her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," she turned her head to kiss him. They pulled back after a few seconds and turned back to the view.

"What are you thinking?" Eric whispered to Taylor.

"How beautiful this place is," she answered back. "I can see why they call it the most romantic city in the world."

"I agree," Angela said from her place in Zack's arms. the group stayed for another ten minutes, before Kim reminded them of the shopping trip. The guys all groaned, while the girls got excited. A group of forlorn looking guys followed their excited girlfriends down the tower and out to the limos. Five hours later, the group exited their last store. They found a couple of tables outside of the store and sat down. The girls were busy talking, while the guys were grumbling under their breath as they held the shopping bags.

"You guys realize we're just pack mules to them?" Justin asked, as they sat at a table behind the girls.

"So many stores," Blake shuddered. "So many clothes."

"You ok buddy?" Shane asked him.

"He'll be fine," Zack said. "He's just going through the aftershocks of Kim's shopping."

"My feet are killing me," Billy moaned.

"Hey Billy?" Rocky called out. "Next time, can't you build something that helps with the bags? Or at least something to ease our aching muscles."

"That would most definitely be something that I could look into," Billy replied. The guys all rested their heads, either on the table or they leaned against each other. They looked over at the girls in disbelief as they chatted away.

"How can they do this and not be tired?" Trent asked his voice a little muffled as he had his head on the table.

"I don't know," Wes said.

"It's like they draw energy from the shopping," Cole said.

"More than likely they draw it from us," Max retorted.

"You might be onto something," Danny said. "We get tired and they keep going." He waited a few seconds to think on it. "Yep, they draw their energy from us." The guys snickered.

"If I never see another store again in my life," Eric said. "I'd die a happy man." Tommy, Connor and Jason laughed at them.

"I don't see how you guys can laugh Dr. O," Ethan moaned. "You guys went through what we did."

"Yeah," Tommy said. "But we have more experience than all of you."

"Especially Tommy," Jason added. "But seriously though, we are used to it."

"Nah," Tommy said. "It's more like we ignore everything and just be there."

"How can you laugh Connor?" Jordan asked his brother. "Man, even muscles I didn't know I had are aching."

"That's Kim for you," Connor smiled. "And like Dr. O and Jason, I'm used to it. Besides, they're lucky, don't you think Dr. O?"

"I think so," Tommy said. "Don't you Jase?"

"Yep," Jason agreed. "They're a bunch of lucky bastards."

"Lucky?" Blake cried. "How are we lucky? The girl is a shopping demon."

"You're lucky…" Connor started.

"Because you have NEVER…." Jason continued.

"Shop with Kim when she's working off her anger," Tommy finished.

"She is ten times worse than she was today," Connor said.

"You think five hours is bad?" Tommy asked. "I remember in high school, we spent the entire day shopping at the mall. Why? A guy pissed Kim off real bad and instead of beating him up; she directed all her energy into something else; shopping."

"When I learned about that," Jason said. "I knew never to go shopping with a pissed off Kim."

"Guys let's go," Kim called out to them.

"Go where?" Rocky asked her.

"We have one more store to see," Trini said.

"After that," Kira said. "We can go home."

"Just one more?" Cam asked.

"Yes," Kim said. "I promise."

"Alright," Tommy said. "Let's go." The group got into the limos, and Kim gave the drivers the directions to the store. After about fifteen minutes of driving, the limos pulled up in front of a store. They all piled out and the original rangers and the DT smiled when they saw the name.

Kim smiled at them. "Welcome to Annabelle's."

"You mean?" Kira started.

"Yep," Kim said. "Come on, let's go in." the group followed her inside. There was a young woman at the counter reading a magazine, while customers walked around looking at and trying on clothes.

"Wow," Jen said. "This place is amazing."

"How come we didn't shop here?" Marah asked. "These clothes are absolutely fabulous." Before Kim could answer, a young woman came out from the back.

"Bonjour," she said. "Bienvenue en Annabelle." Kim's back was to her, so she didn't see her. When Kim turned around, a smile made its way across the woman's face. "Mon dieu! Is that you Belle?"

"Hello Marie-Claude," Kim smiled. The woman let out a squeal of joy and launched herself at Kim. The two met in amidst hugs and laughter. Marie-Claude pulled back from the hug and looked at Kim.

"Belle girl," Marie-Claude said. "You look good."

"Thanks," Kim answered. "So do you."

"What are you doing back here?" Marie-Claude asked her. "You left for America almost two weeks ago. What brought you back?"

"My mom got into an accident last week," Kim said. "I came back to be with her. I'm actually going back on Saturday."

"Ok," Mari-Claude said. "Not that I'm not glad you're here, but what brings you by?"

"I actually need to talk to you," Kim said. The young woman that was behind the counter came out when she saw her boss talking to the group, more specifically, the young woman.

"Marie," the girl asked. "Who's that?"

"This Cheyenne," Marie-Claude said. "Is my boss and the owner of this store, Kimberly Hart also known as Belle."

"Wait," Cheyenne said, "Belle? You're Annabelle?"

"Please to meet you," Kim said.

"Kim," Taylor looked at her in shock. "You're the one that designed all these clothes?"

"Yes," Kim laughed. "Designing must be in my blood, because my mom is an interior designer, uncle Carson designs cars, and Kelly runs a surf shop where she designs some of the boards."

"You've had one busy life," Eric said.

"I know," Kim said. "Why don't you guys check out the store, I'm sure Cheyenne can show you some of the latest designs. I'm going to talk with Marie-Claude."

"Alright," the group said. Kim and Marie-Claude made their way through the back to the office. Kim sat in front of the computer and turned it on. She pulled up the inventory and the sales and was pleased to see the store was doing well. She also checked their website and was happy with what she saw. Seeing the smile on her boss and friend's face, Marie-Claude smiled.

"Everyday the store is filled with customers," she said. "People loves the designs and the clothes. Our online catalogue and the store catalogue are used very often."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kim said. "I'm working on some designs. Do you remember the idea I had?"

"The animal line?" Marie-Claude asked. When Kim nodded, she continued. "The sample you designed and did look amazing."

"What about the samples that I left?" Kim asked.

"We have them on display here in the store," Marie-Claude replied.

"Seriously?" Kim was a little surprised as she hadn't seen them.

"Yes," Marie-Claude smiled. "And we've already gotten questions as to when that line will be out."

"It will be a while yet," Kim said. "But I really do need to talk to you about that line and about the store."

"What is it?" Marie-Claude asked.

"How would you like to completely and officially run this store?"

"What?!" Marie-Claude asked.

"MC," Kim said, using her nickname for her. "You've been doing it since I left, so it won't be any different. I'll still be your boss, but I just won't be here. All shipment and everything will go through you, employee hiring and what's not will be your decision. The only thing is that you will need to send me a regular update of the store and catalogue sales as well as the inventory."

"Why?" MC asked.

"I'm planning on opening a store in my hometown Angel Grove," Kim said. "And I need someone I trust to oversee everything here. And I trust you. You'll get a pay increase of course, and higher benefits." Kim paused to allow everything to sink in. "So…what do you say?"

"I say you're crazy Cherie," MC said. "But I must be crazier. I'll do it."

"Thank you so much," Kim said as she stood to give her a hug.

"No, thank you for trusting me so much," MC said. "Now that business is out of the way, which one of those guys is yours and which one can you hook me up with?"

"Sorry," Kim laughed. "They're all taken, and I can introduce you."

"Damn," MC said. "Just my luck." Kim laughed as the two walked back to the front of the store. She saw Tommy at the counter with Jason and pointed him out.

"You see those two guys by the counter?"

"Yes?"

"The one in white is my boyfriend," Kim said. "The other is like my surrogate big brother."

"Damn girl," Marie-Claude said. "You have really good taste. The guy is gorgeous."

"Yep," Kim smirked. "And he's all mine."

"Hold onto him," Marie-Claude said.

"I have no intention of letting him go," Kim said as the two girls walked over to the where Tommy and Jason was standing.

"Hey Beautiful," Tommy said as she was close. "Everything go ok?"

"Yep," Kim answered. "So...what do you guys think of the store?"

"It's amazing," Krista said as the others joined them. Some of the girls had some clothes in their arms.

"I can't believe this is your store," Taylor said.

"Yeah," Alyssa said. "Or the fact that you're Annabelle."

"You're an amazing designer," Jen said.

"Thanks," Kim said. "So are you guys ready to leave?"

"Sure," Krista said.

"We just have to pay for a few stuff," Caitlin added. The girls went to the counter to pay and with a final word to Marie-Claude from Kim promising to call with more details, the group left the store. Cheyenne walked up to Marie-Claude.

"Was that really Annabelle?" she asked.

"Yes," Marie-Claude replied.

"She's different than what I expected."

"She's very friendly," Marie-Claude said. "She's also a really good friend. Come on, let's go back to work.

…

It was a very tired and happy group that greeted Pierre and Caroline as they entered the house. Seeing all the bags, Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"Did my daughter make you buy out the store?" she asked.

"No mom," Kim said. "I didn't. But we did have fun though."

"Fun?!" Cam said. "It most certainly wasn't fun for us. We're the ones that had to hold the bags. All you girls did was giggle and shop." He sighed as Caroline and Pierre laughed. "I knew I should've stayed with my computer."

"Kimberly!" Caroline scolded her daughter. "Why did you treat the poor guys like that? You know they are not used to your shopping."

"You could've gone easy on them, mon petite croissant," Pierre said.

"But dad," Kim said. "I wasn't even that hard on them. I mean, Tommy has been through worse, so has Connor."

"Thank God you weren't angry," Caroline said.

"Yeah," Pierre added. "Then they would seriously be in pain."

"You know," Eric said. "Tommy said the same thing."

"What else did you guys do?" Caroline asked as they moved into the living room.

"We saw a lot of places," Trini said. "We spent some time at the top of the Eiffel Tower; which was amazing."

"And then we stopped by Annabelle," Kim said. "I had to talk to Marie-Claude."

"About what sweetie?" Caroline asked.

"About her running the store since I'm moving back home for good and I'm thinking of opening a store there," Kim said.

"Are you sure about this?" Pierre asked his daughter.

"Positive," Kim said. "The guys agreed to help me with the fixing up and moving in when I find a space and the girls agreed to be a model when and if I have a show to showcase some of the clothes."

"Really?" Tori asked. "Do you need anymore?"

"If you guys want to," Kim said. "The more the merrier."

"Cool," Tori replied.

"So how are you guys going to spend the last day here?" Pierre asked.

"We're going to stay home," Hayley said. "We have a lot of packing to do what with everything we bought today."

"Alright," Caroline said.

"Well what about you dad?" Kim asked.

"I'm staying home," Pierre answered. "Caroline will need the company."

"Don't you think you should take your bags to your rooms?" Caroline asked the group.

"Too tired to move," they replied. She just shook her head and smiled as she leaned back against Pierre. True to their word, the next day was spent at home. They had gotten their stuff packed in the early so that they could have the rest of the day to themselves. They spent the day talking and enjoying each others company. Caroline and Pierre were happy with the group and felt lucky to get to know the rest of them. Early Saturday morning, just after dawn, the group woke up. They got showered before they made their way to the kitchen to make breakfast. To their surprise, they saw that Caroline and Pierre were already up and had made breakfast for all of them.

"Mom?" Kim asked as she walked into the kitchen. "What are you guys doing up so early. It's barely six."

"You think I wouldn't get up to see my kids and their friends off?" She asked.

"Besides," Pierre said. "You guys made a huge breakfast for us and everyone; it's only fair that we return the favor."

"But mom," Jordan said. "I thought the doctor told you to take it easy?"

"He told me not to overdo it," Caroline said. "And making breakfast is not overdoing it."

"Ok mom," Jordan said.

"Eat," Pierre said. "You guys have a drive to the airport." They agreed and they all grabbed a plate. By 6:30, they were all done and ready to go. When they got to the door, they saw Caroline and Pierre dressed and waiting.

"You're coming?" Connor asked.

"Of course," Caroline said. "Now let's go." They nodded and grabbed their bags. They all piled into the limos and started off for the airport. Almost twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the entrance. They checked their bags and made their way out to the waiting area. The plane was being stocked and refueled for their trip. Ten minutes later, they got the ok and made their way to the exit doors. The others said good bye and left, leaving Caroline and Pierre to talk with their kids and their significant others.

"Call me when you get home, ok?" Caroline said as she grabbed Kim, Connor and Jordan in a hug.

"We will mom," Jordan said. She pulled back from them and turned to the girls.

"It was so nice meeting you two," she said to Kira and Sally. "I'm glad that my sons are dating two wonderful girls. Their lucky."

"We're the lucky ones Caroline," Kira said. Sally nodded her head in agreement. "I'm just glad I got a chance to tell Connor how I felt."

"So am I," Sally said. "I'm glad Eric and I are together. I love him."

"I'm happy to hear that," Caroline said. She hugged them once more before turning to Tommy. "I must say that I'm happy that you and Kim found your way back to each other. I'm thankful for you because my daughter has never been happier than when she's with you."

"She makes me happy as well," Tommy replied.

"Take care of her," Caroline said.

"I will," Tommy said. "You have my word." Caroline smiled as she turned back to her daughter.

"I am so proud of you," she said to Kim. "From being a ranger to your gymnastics to being a singer and now a top designer who owns her own store…you are amazing. I'm also happy that you finally found happiness with Tommy again."

"So am I mom," Kim said. She turned to look at Tommy and gave him a soft smile, before she turned back to her mom. "For the first time in my life, I'm completely happy. And I have no intention of letting anything or anyone destroy it again."

"I love you guys," Caroline said. "All of you."

"We love you too," they replied. "We should go," Sally said. As they turned to leave, Connor turned to Pierre.

"You've been there for me for the two years I've known you," he said. "You didn't have to be, but you were and I just want to say thank you….dad." Tears came into Pierre's eyes when he heard that. He had no kids of his own, and had fell in love with Kim when he had first met her as a teenager. He had wanted the then teen Kim to like him and potentially see him as a father figure for her. He never felt like he had accomplished that until after the Olympics when Kim had called him 'dad' for the first time. And now, here was another of his wife's kids calling him 'dad'. He had always thought of Connor as the son he never had and was ecstatic that Connor saw him as a dad. Grabbing him in hug, Pierre spoke. "You never have to thank me son. I love you just as much as I love Kim and if you were my own son." He turned to Tommy and Jordan. "I may not know you two as well as my daughter or my wife does, but I love you both. And i wouldn't mind being called 'dad' by either of you, but only if your comfortable."

"Maybe not yet," Jordan said. "But, given time, I might be."

"Caroline already asked me to call her 'mom' and who am I to refuse her?" Tommy smiled. "Though, like Jordan said, it might take a while to call you 'dad'."

"I have no problem with that," Pierre replied. "I'll miss you guys, especially you croissant."

"I'll miss you too dad," Kim said as she hugged. After a final hug to her mom, she said goodbye and walked away with the others.

"I miss them already," Caroline said as she watched them board the plane.

"So do I," Pierre said. "Come on, let's go home."

_(On the plane)_

"Hey Kim?" Connor called out.

"Yeah?"

"I think that we should get everything with Ken and Sandra over with," he said. "What about you?"

"I agree," Kim replied.

"Are you sure?" Angela asked. Kim turned to her.

"It's best we do it now and then concentrate on the rest of this mini vacation," Kim said. "I'd like to get started on my plans for the store without all this stuff hanging over my head."

"That's a good idea," Danny said. "Do you want us with you guys when you do it?" Kim smiled at him.

"Thanks for the offer Danny," she said. "But I think that this is something that Connor, Jordan and I have to do by ourselves."

"Your welcome and no problem," he smiled.

"So how are you guys going to do it?" Cole asked.

"We can call them from here and set up a meeting," Jordan suggested. "Would that be work?"

"That's a great idea," Aisha said. "The question is; where would you arrange the meeting to take place?"

"My place is out," Kim said. "I don't want either of them there."

"How about Ernie's?" Rocky suggested.

"Do you think he'll go for it?" Adam asked.

"I foresee no difficulties with that solution," Billy said. "Ernie has been like a second father to us and he is quite generous and understanding about letting us use the center for personal needs."

"Ok," Tommy said. "Beautiful why don't you call Ken and ask him to meet you, Connor or Jordan can call Sandra and I'll call Ernie and ask if we can use his place."

"Sounds good," Kim said.

"When though?" Jason asked.

"How about tomorrow afternoon?" Kim replied. "The sooner the better."

"Let's do it," Jordan said. With that, the three placed the calls. Tommy gave them thumbs up to indicate that he had cleared it with Ernie and so did Jordan. Kim had a bit more difficulty but in the end, had managed to get Ken to agree. After they hung up, the group relaxed and settled in for the flight back home. Hours later, they arrived at the airport; it was now late afternoon. After grabbing their luggage, they headed out to their cars; which they had left in the parking lot. The group made their way back to Kim's place, where they spent the rest of the night unpacking and sitting out in the backyard.

_(Part 2—Destroying the Bridge)_

The next day, a woman in her thirties made her way into the empty youth center. She was surprised that her son had wanted to meet her here, especially when she thought that he was in Blue Bay Harbor. Ten minutes after she arrived, someone else showed up. Surprise was evident on both faces as they looked at each other. The woman spoke first.

"Ken?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing Sandra," Ken replied, clearly stunned to see her. "I haven't seen you in years."

"Nineteen to be exact," a voice behind them said. Turning, they saw Kim, Connor and Eric _(He's back to Eric just for this 'meeting')_ standing there.

"Kimberly," Ken said. "What are you doing here? And how do you know those boys?" Kim didn't reply.

"Connor, Eric," Sandra said. "What's going on here? Why are we here?"

"We're here to talk," Kim said.

"Talk about what?" Ken asked.

"About what happened nineteen years ago between the two of you and our mother," Kim said. The two paled at that. There was only one thought running through their heads, _'How did they find out?'_

TBC

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A/N 2: so, everyone had fun in Paris. But now it's time to get to the serious matters. Connor, Kim and Eric finally come face to face with the two responsible for separating them. It's about time they get what's coming to them. You know words are going to fly.

**A/N 3: **the whole Moulin Rouge and Mona Lisa thing, I have no idea if the movie is based off the painting or if they're anything alike, and as for the Mona Lisa, a friend of mine was actually the one to tell me what she thought about it....so it's based on her thoughts, though the feelings are mine. So if I stepped on any toes, especially Kim's crack about Da Vinci being gay, I'm truly sorry. (_Llee, you probably laughed when you read that scene--lol_) Now for the sad part…this story only has a couple more chapters to go. I know…I too I'm sad to see it end. But you do know the saying: _all good things must come to an end_

Read and review and let me know what you think. And once again, I am sorry for the long wait.

Kila


	25. Moment of Truth part 2

**AN: **it's finally here; the very _long _awaited chapter. Sorry it took me so long. Hope you guys like it. Dedicated in part to Falcon4Crane (you'll know which part I'm talking about.*smiles*. I hope it's to your liking)

***Thanks to all those that are still interested; that has reviewed and waited patiently for this chapter. Love you guys' lots. **

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, zip, nada.

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_Last time on Secrets;_

"_Kimberly," Ken said. "What are you doing here? And how do you know those boys?" Kim didn't reply._

"_Connor, Eric," Sandra said. "What's going on here? Why are we here?"_

"_We're here to talk," Kim said._

"_Talk about what?" Ken asked._

"_About what happened nineteen years ago between the two of you and our mother," Kim said. The two paled at that. There was only one thought running through their heads, 'How did they find out?'_

_(Now: Part 1—Family relations)_

"Well I can tell by the look on your faces that you never expected us to find out," Eric said. "Did you?"

Ken and Sandra could only look at each other. He was right; they had never thought or expected that they would know what they did all those years ago.

"Kids…" Ken started only to be cut off by Kim.

"Oh no," Kim shook her head. "You don't get to talk; you don't get to try and con your way out of this. We just have one question for you…why? Why did you do that? How could you separate a mother from her babies, newborn ones at that? What kind of heartless monsters are you?"

When the two remained silent, Connor scowled. "Answer her!"

Everyone was deathly quiet after Connor spoke. Ken and Sandra were still in shock. They seriously hadn't thought that the kids would ever find out what happened all those years ago. Kim, Eric and Connor looked at the two of them with such anger and hatred that they felt as if they could actually feel a caress on their skin. In that instant, they both knew that after today, things would change even more and they knew that they would not be able to leave until they answered the questions from the three. Preparing her self, Sandra answered first.

"I loved your father," she swallowed before continuing. "He was everything to me. When I found out I couldn't have kids, I was devastated. Before and after we married, all Jordan could talk about was how much he would love for us to have kids. He talked about all the things that he would teach you, things that his dad had taught him. When we were told I couldn't have kids, I became scared. Instead of believing in your father and our love, I allowed my fear to push him away and into the arms of another." She turned to Kim. "Your mother."

Kim said nothing as she stared at Sandra; Eric however, scowled. "You mean 'our' mother?"

Sandra flinched as if struck. "When Jordan met Caroline, I knew. I didn't know who the person was, but I knew it was someone. His eyes, which had become pain-filled and somewhat lifeless, had started looking more vibrant, more alive than it had in a long time. He was suddenly spending a lot of time in Angel Grove. I knew he was cheating on me and I didn't blame him for it….not at first. But in time, I became angry at myself for pushing him away and then I turned my anger onto him and the woman. But even though I felt angry at him for cheating, I still had no real proof, until Ken showed up. When Ken came and told me exactly who Jordan was seeing, I wasn't sure what to feel. I became enraged; especially when he told me that Caroline was pregnant with Jordan's child. So, we came up with a plan. I went to see Caroline and when I saw how glowingly pregnant she was, I felt jealousy in me; she was giving my husband the one thing I couldn't. All I wanted was to give Jordan kids, and I had the chance; even if I didn't give birth to them myself."

"So you decided to take us from our mother?" Connor spat. "You decided to threaten her with the idea of having Kim being taken away from her just so you could have us? What kind of a monster are you?"

"A monster?!" Sandra's eyes flashed at the insult. "I'm not a monster!"

"Than what the hell do you call someone that does something like what you did?" Kim asked. "You took my mother's kids from her…just after she gave birth; you threatened to take me away from her if she didn't give them and you say you're not a monster?"

"I wanted kids!" Sandra replied fiercely. "She already had you. Connor and Eric belonged to _my _husband."

"They also belonged to her!" Kim replied just as fiercely. "You were so jealous over you inability to give Jordan kids that the fact that he fell in love with our mother and she gave him not one but two sons, ate at you didn't it?"

"She didn't deserve them or him," Sandra said. "I knew I would make a good mother, I just never had my chance to be one. But with Eric and Connor I did, besides, like I said, she already had you."

"And that makes it better?" Eric exclaimed. "You stole us! You were being selfish and you stole us from our mother. Did you even think about how it would feel to her to give birth only to have her babies taken from her? Did you even think about anything but yourself?"

"Why should I have?" Sandra shrugged. "I had already got what I wanted. I knew that if she cared anything at all about her daughter she would give you up."

SMACK!

Sandra's head spun to the side from the force of the blow. Ken could only stare at his daughter in shock; he couldn't believe that she had just slapped Sandra. Kim for her part was livid. Her mother had been through hell because of this woman.

"You cold-hearted, selfish bitch!" Kim spoke, her voice cold, sending shivers down everyone's spines. "You tore apart a family all because you couldn't stand the idea that your husband was happy with someone else? You put all of us through hell and you don't even care. My brothers should've been raised with their mother but you made sure that didn't happen. If I could have you arrested for what you did, I would. But you know what? I won't. It doesn't matter anymore because you're not worth my time. Despite your actions, my brothers and I know each and they were reunited with their true mother."

"I can't believe this," Eric said. "When I first heard about this, I refused to believe it because I didn't think you'd be capable of anything like that. I thought everyone was lying; I was even angry at dad when he finally told me the truth. But to hear you actually admit it, and to hear no remorse at all in your voice…it makes me wonder." He shook his head as he glared at her. "Kim's right. It doesn't matter, not anymore. For the longest while I thought you were my mother, but now I know. My mother could never be such a bitch like you. Whatever compassion I may have had for you is now gone. From this moment on, you're dead to me and I want nothing to with you. You're not my mother, and you never were."

Sandra looked at Eric; her face had paled when he had spoken. She couldn't believe that she was losing her son. "Eric…son—

"Don't call me that!" Eric vehemently replied. "I am not your son, I never was. I hate you for what you did."

Once again Sandra flinched. She had no idea that her actions would have such repercussions. _'__**Honestly girl, what did you expect?**__ I expected them not to find out. __**But they did; and now, you're losing both your sons…sons that you wanted so badly that you stole them from their mother.' **_She was jerked out of her thoughts by Connor's voice.

"I agree with everything Eric said," his voice was harsh. "I can't believe that my father stayed with you all these years; but then again I could see why he would. He probably thought that if he left, you might hurt us. But then again, he shouldn't have had to worry about that since we were never yours in the first place. I spent the last nineteen years of my life not knowing my sister or my own mother because you were nothing more than selfish bitch. How could you do something like that and then live with yourself after?"

"Connor—

"NO!" he cut her off. "You're nothing but a thief and you have no rights to call me by my name. While I do feel some sympathy for you not being able to have kids, I will never forgive you for what you did. You're spiteful and I hate that I ever knew you. You're no longer welcome any where near me. From this moment on, you have no sons. We're dead to you just like you're dead to us. I never want to see you again."

Sandra could only stare at the two boys. For the first time in nineteen she started to regret what she did. She never should've let her fears and insecurities dictate her actions which drove her to do what she did. And now she was paying for it. She supposed that some tiny part of her had always expected that they would find out and that they would be angry at her, but it still came as shock.

"You should leave," Eric said. "I can't stand the sight of you." She gave nod before she turned and left. At the door, she paused and looked back. All she got were looks of disbelief and anger/hatred. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Eyes filled with tears, she left. Kim turned from the door to the man that fathered her.

"For the longest time," she started. "I always wondered why you couldn't love me. I tried so hard to please you but it seemed like no matter what I did, it was never good enough for you. I wanted so bad to make you love me, but you couldn't. Do you know how much it hurts to know that you placed everyone else above me? Your own daughter. All I ever wanted was to be first in your life, to feel that you were proud of me, but you didn't see that. I heard my mother cry every night because you were gone. All the fights, the yelling, the cheating; you hurt us over and over and yet you never seemed to care." By now, Kim had tears running down her cheeks. "Every promise you gave to me only to have you break them over and over again. You've been cheating on my mom way before she cheated on you, but the moment she did, you couldn't handle it. The Great Kenrick Hart couldn't fathom the idea of his wife seeking happiness and pleasure elsewhere even though he did himself. You couldn't stand the idea that someone else could make her happy so you had to ruin it. But still, despite everything that happened, I still held out some hope that I meant something to you; but to hear everything, the absolute truth." She paused as started pacing. As she continued, her voice became harsh; slightly rising in pitch and Connor knew that that meant she would start yelling soon. He wasn't disappointed. "IS THAT ALL I WAS TO YOU? A FUCKING BARGAINING CHIP? A WAY TO FORCE A WOMAN INTO DOING WHAT YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, HOW COULD YOU FORCE HER TO GIVE UP HER KIDS?"

"Kimberly," Ken started.

"NO!" Kim said forcefully as she shook her head, her tears falling even more. "Did I really mean so little to you?"

"You were….are everything to me," Ken said. Like Sandra, for the first time in his life, he regretted everything he did, because for the first time, he was finally seeing the hell that he had put his daughter through.

Kim scoffed, as did her brothers. "You had a funny way of showing it." Connor said.

"I loved you and your mother," Ken said. "The first time I cheated on her, I hadn't meant for it happen, but when it did, I'm ashamed to say that I realized that I could have my cake and eat it too. I knew that if I was careful, then Caroline would never have to find out. I didn't even realize that she knew. But I kept at it, until she had enough and told me she wanted a separation. I was hurt, but I knew it was my own fault. I agreed and even though I knew it was because of my cheating, I still didn't stop. When I came home that day to find her pregnant, I was hurt and jealous, though I had no right to be. And I lashed out at her for doing the same thing I did, but I only did that because I was scared. I could see that Caroline had actually fallen in love with the guy she was seeing, and I couldn't have her leave me."

"You couldn't have her leave you?" Kim seethed. "You made her miserable and she finds happiness and you decided to take it away. You were such a hypocrite. You punished her for doing the same thing you did. You were going to take me away to what? Teach her a lesson? Or was it to show her that you were the man; that just because you did something that that didn't give her the right to do the same. I can't believe you. Did you even think about what you were putting me through? No, you didn't. I hated myself because I thought that it was my fault that everything was happening."

Ken's eyes widen at that. He never thought that Kim had blamed herself for what had happened. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," Kim retorted. "You didn't know because you never saw anyone but yourself. You were too caught up making yourself feel better that you never thought about me. I needed my father to tell me that everything was going to be alright, that it wasn't my fault. But I guess that was too much to ask, was it?" she reached up to wipe her tears.

"Kimberly," Ken said. "I am so sorry."

"Yeah, well," Kim said. "Your 'sorry' can't fix it. I'm your only child…" she stopped when she saw him look away. She saw the emotion in his eyes but couldn't quite figure it out. After a few minutes of looking at him, she felt the suspicions rise in her. "I _am_ your _only_ child?"

Ken refused to look at Kim. He knew that if he did, then he wouldn't be able to stop himself from answering and that it would hurt her. Kim, however, was having none of that.

"Look at me!" she demanded. When he did, she continued. "Am I your only child?"

Seconds ticked by and Kim was sure she wouldn't get an answer. After a few more seconds of silence, he answered. "No."

Kim took a step back. She felt as if a huge blow had been delivered to her stomach. She felt Connor grab her hand and Eric place a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head side to side.

"No," she kept repeating the word. "You're lying."

"I'm not," Ken said. "You have an older brother. He lives in Mariner Bay."

"Does mom know?" she asked as more tears filled her eyes.

"No," he answered. "She doesn't."

"How old is he?" she asked.

"He's thirty," Ken said. He became quiet. Kim was twenty-seven, just three years younger and she knew that he and her mom had been together since the beginning of college, which meant that he had cheated on her mom and had gotten the other woman pregnant. He knew that when she figured it out, she would be even angrier and he was terrified that he might lose his daughter. He truly loved her, but he knew that he hadn't been a good father to her. He watched her features and saw the realization. He mentally braced himself.

"Thirty?" Kim questioned. "But that would mean that…" her eyes widened. "Oh, you bastard, you selfish bastard. You had a son by another woman and you never said anything? You cheated on my mother and demanded that she give up her kids, all the while knowing that you had another child out there? I never thought I'd say this about anyone, but I hate you. I utterly and completely hate you."

"You don't mean that," he said, his voice stricken with fear. "You can't mean that. I'm your father."

"No," Kim shook her head. "You're not my father. Pierre Dumas is. You might have provided the goods, but that's all you are to me; you're just the donor. You never were my father and I can assure that I will never consider you to be again. I want you to stay the hell away from me. You're dead to me."

"Kim," he took a step toward her but stopped when Connor and Eric glared at him.

"Leave me alone," Kim whispered, his full betrayal suddenly hitting her. "Just go. I never want to see you again."

Ken looked at her. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he knew his touch wouldn't be welcomed. He had just lost the one person that meant the most to him, and he knew that he had no one to blame but himself. With a resigned sigh, he nodded and turned to leave. Like Sandra, when he reached the door, he looked back. He saw Connor pulling Kim into his arms, with Eric rubbing her back as her tears finally got the better of her. His heart constricted when he heard the broken sobs coming from her. His own eyes filled with tears knowing he was the cause. He whispered a final 'I'm sorry' before going through the door.

Back inside, Kim held Connor's shirt tightly between her hands as she stained his shirt with her tears. "How could they do that? How could _he _do that? Why would he betray me like that?"

"I don't know sis," Connor whispered. "But I know we'll get through this, all three of us."

"He's right," Eric said as he continued rubbing her back. "We'll show them that we're strong enough to get through this. Come on; let's go back to the house." Kim nodded as she moved from Connor's chest. She wiped her tears as she looked up at them. They looked at each other, but said nothing; but then again, words weren't really needed. Taking a breath and releasing it, Kim smiled at them. They smiled in return and all three walked out of the youth center. Despite the conversations they just had, they couldn't help but to feel lighter. And even though Kim knew that she would have to find her older brother, she couldn't help but feel as if she had finally gain closure, as did Eric and Connor.

_(Part 2—Curiosity killed the 'Kat')_

A few days later found the group at the youth center. When Kim, Eric and Connor had returned to the house three days before on Sunday, they had told everyone what had happened. Kim, still reeling from the betrayal of the man she had once called father, had been quiet and withdrawn, which had caused Tommy to lift his girlfriend into his arms to take her to their room. There, in his arms, she had broken down once more and cried. All Tommy could do was hold her. She had cried herself to sleep, with him following close behind. The next morning, she had quietly and politely told them she couldn't discuss it yet. They had respected her decision and had not asked anymore questions. Now, it was Wednesday and they were all hanging out at the youth center. They were all huddled together, eating and talking about nothing. It was during a lull in conversations that Kim spoke.

"I still can't believe it," her voice was soft, yet it still captured everyone's attention.

"Believe what Kim?" Alyssa asked.

"Everything," She replied. "But most of all, I can't believe he has another child…a son. I have an older brother and I've never even met him."

"Where did your dad say he lived again?" Danny asked.

"Mariner Bay," Kim answered. "And no, I don't know his name, I never asked." She had answered Jason's unasked question. All of a sudden, Max started laughing.

"What?" Cole asked.

"I just think it's funny," Max replied, still smiling.

"What is?" Cam asked.

"That Kim lives in Angel Grove where the rangers started," Max said. "And her brothers all live in cities that had rangers. Her older brother lives in Mariner Bay which had the LSR Rangers, Eric lives in BBH which had the NS Rangers and Connor lived in Reefside which had the DT Rangers. Just thought it was funny is all." Everyone looked on stunned.

"He's right," Rocky said. "Hey, how weird would it be if one of the guys on LSR was Kim's older brother?"

"Nah," Kim laughed. "That would be too much of a coincidence; all of us being rangers?" she looked at the others and saw that most had a pensive look on their faces. "Guys come on, you seriously don't believe that?"

"Hey it could happen," Rocky shrugged.

"It could Kim," Trini said. "You said you don't know your brother's name. So for all you know, he actually could've been a ranger. I mean look at the rest of you. You and Connor were rangers, and Eric could've been one as well."

"Please don't think that," Kim moaned. "It'd be too freaky for three of us to have been rangers."

"Aww come on Kim," Zack smiled at her. "Just think of it as a family legacy that you passed on."

"Shut up Zack," she mock glared at him, and everyone else laughed.

"So how are you really feeling?" Hayley asked.

"I don't know," Kim sighed. "Hurt, sad, betrayed, shock, angry; though betrayed and angry seemed to be the more dominant emotions."

"Well I'd be feeling the same," Caitlin said. The others agreed. Kim could feel her emotions getting the best of her the more she thought about everything that had happened on Sunday. Pretty soon, she started feeling edgy and restless. Sensing this, Tommy got up and moved to the sparring mats. He set them up before walking back to the table.

"Come on," he said as he held out his hand.

"What?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"I can tell you're edgy and you need something to release all the pent up emotion," he said. "So, let's spar." Kim gave her boyfriend a small smile. Of course he would know how she was feeling. Despite their years apart, Tommy still knew her better than anyone, Connor following at a close (very close) second. Still smiling, she took his hand and followed him onto the mats. The others grabbed their chairs and moved closer. While the original rangers just smiled at the thought of the two sparring, the others looked a little unsure.

"Should she be doing that with him?" Eric asked. "I mean, he could hurt her."

"You don't know Tommy," Jason laughed.

"You mean he doesn't know Kim," Adam countered with a smile.

"Trust us when we say Kim can more than handle herself," Tanya smiled.

"Are you sure?" Taylor asked. "It is Tommy Oliver."

"Yeah," Dustin said. "The guy is like a ranger legend."

"And she is Kimberly Hart," Aisha countered. "Who is a ranger legend herself being the longest serving female; trust us, Kim can handle Tommy. After all, he was the one who taught her…or more like helped her refine her sparring skills."

"Next to Jason," Billy said. "Kimberly is the only person that can keep up with Tommy. Don't underestimate her. Our enemies did and they always paid for it. She's stronger than she looks."

All talking stopped as they watched the two. They saw that they had changed out of their jeans and shorts into sweats and a leotard with pink shorts over it. Kim and Tommy bowed to each other before they started. The spar started out slow before it picked in speed. Everyone was watching in amazement as Kim held her own against Tommy and the fluid way in which the two moved. After a few minutes, Wes made an observation.

"He's holding back."

"Yes he is," Jason smirked. "But he won't be for long."

"What do you mean?" Jen asked.

"She won't allow him to," Jason said. "By holding back, Kim will think that he's going easy on her; which she hates." Jason shook his head. That was one reason why he had stopped sparring with Kim. He could never let go with her as he was too afraid that he would hurt her. When Tommy had joined the team, Kim had gone to him to be her sparring partner. During the first spar he had held back and that had pissed Kim off until she attacked him ferociously. Driven to defend him self, Tommy had retaliated just as strong but soon found that Kim could actually keep up with him. After that, he was the only she would seriously spar with because he wasn't afraid of holding back, no matter how much he liked her. Ironically, that had made her fall for him even more. True to Jason's word, the group watched as Kim stopped mid strike to glare at Tommy. She had finally noticed what he was doing. While they couldn't hear the words, they saw the sheepishness on Tommy's face before he let out a sigh, smiled and nodded at Kim. Seconds later, the two were at it again. This time, they could tell that neither was holding back.

"Holy crap!" Blake said. "Is she actually keeping up with him?"

"Yep," Jason smirked. He was proud of his baby sister.

"Told you not to underestimate her," Trini smiled. The group wasn't the only one paying attention to the sparring couple. The other occupants of the youth center had and came closer to watch the two. They watched as Kim kicked out her foot, knocking Tommy on his back, before back-flipping to land in a defensive stance. Tommy flipped back onto his feet to land in his stance as well. Kim smiled at him, while he beckoned her forward. She shook her head and he smiled before attacking. Tommy threw a punch at Kim but she ducked under his hand only to grab it and flip him over. Mid air, Tommy twisted and landed on his feet, his back to her. Kim went after him, but he turned at the last minute to grab her hand. He kicked out with his foot and knocked her on the ground.

"You know," Tommy teased. "You look good on your back." She laughed at him and got to her feet. She faked a kick before she tackled him.

"And here I thought you liked me on top," Kim smiled.

Tommy laughed as he grabbed the back of her head and pulled down for a kiss. He let up enough to whisper against her lips. "I like you in any position Beautiful."

"You're a tease," she laughed as she ducked down for another kiss.

"You love me anyways," he laughed as she moved off of him to her feet.

"Come on," She held out her hand to help him up. He smiled as he grabbed it and let her help him to stand. He stole another kiss, before wrapping an arm around her waist. When they turned to walk back to their friends, they were greeted with applause. Kim laughed as Tommy rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand in a bashful way. She pulled away for a second to bow before going back to him. They smiled at their friends as they approached them.

"That was amazing," Marah gushed.

"I'm sorry," Eric said.

"What are you sorry for?" Kim asked.

"I underestimated you," he smiled. "I thought that you wouldn't be able to handle Tommy or that he would go easy on you. But that's not what happened."

"Don't worry about it," Kim waved his words away.

"Nice to see you've still got sis," Adam smiled.

"Or maybe Tommy is losing his touch," Rocky joked.

"I am not losing my touch," Tommy said. "How about we go at it and I prove it to you?"

"No," Rocky laughed. "I'm fine." The others laughed at him. Tommy moved to grab a chair and sat down. He was about to pull Kim onto his lap when she gasped out loud.

"What is it Kim?" Krista asked.

"No way," Kim said. "What the hell?" The group turned around to see what she was looking at. To their surprise, and confusion, they saw Kat standing at the counter. Kim kept staring at her, even when Kat noticed they were there.

"Kim?' Trini called when she saw that she was still looking at Kat. Kim didn't answer. Seconds later, a smile came on her face.

"Kim," Aisha spoke. "What are you thinking?" Aisha didn't really like the smile that was on Kim's face; that smile usually meant she was up to something, something they wouldn't really like.

"I'm not thinking anything," Kim said, the smile still on her face.

"What are you going to do?" Connor asked, knowing his sister.

"Nothing," Kim said. "Just wanna talk. That's all." With that, she walked away from them and over to Kat.

"Oh boy," Zack said. "Kat is in trouble."

"Kim wouldn't start anything," Kelly said. She looked at the others. "Would she?"

"She might," Trini answered her, her gaze on Kim's approach to Kat. "Kim hasn't really dealt with Kat for what she did."

"So she might do it now," Aisha finished. The smile was still on Kim's face as she walked up to the blonde. As she was getting closer, she noticed that Kat had turned back around. Her smile turning into a smirk, Kim walked right up to her and tapped her on her shoulder.

"Hello Katherine."

Kat debated with herself for a few seconds. She really didn't want to turn around, but her curiosity got the best of her. Taking a deep breath, she released it before turning around.

"Hello Kimberly," she said.

"What are you doing here Katherine?" Kim asked. Rocky looked at the two and knew that something would happen between them. He also knew that he wanted to hear what was being said.

"I'm going closer," he said to the others. "I want to know what's going on." With that, he got up and found a seat at a table right behind Kim and Kat. Seeing what he did, the others moved to where he was sitting; although, they had to bring chairs and extra tables for everyone to fit. When they were done, they turned their attention back to the two girls.

"I eat here," Kat answered. "Besides, it's a public place, and Ernie doesn't mind having me here."

"Ernie doesn't know what a backstabbing bitch you are," Kim retorted.

"Ouch," Hunter winced, as did the others; including Kat.

Kat narrowed her eyes. "Did you come here just to insult me?"

"Yes," Kim said. "What? Did you think I came over here because I wanted your friendship or something? If you thought that, then you're more delusional than I thought."

"What's your problem Kimberly?" Kat asked.

"You," Kim said. "My problem is you." Kim's brows furrowed as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Let me ask you something Kat; did you ever saw me as a friend, or was I simply a means to an end; a way to get close to everyone?"

"You just don't get it," Kat said.

"What don't I get?" Kim asked. "You thought I had everything easy when you now know that my life was anything but."

"That doesn't matter," Kat said. "You still had everything. The boys at school wanted you, girls wanted to be your friend, even the ones that picked fights with you; but then again, they only did that because it meant that they had your attention. It was sickening. Even Zordon was under your spell. Everyone treated you like you were the best when you couldn't even handle your gift."

"I handle them just fine," Kim scoffed, ignoring the first half of Kat's sentence. "I had them for three years, didn't I? And you shouldn't be talking. Didn't you have trouble handling them? Guess that means you weren't strong enough or good enough for them." The words were like acid to Kat, and the other rangers, minus the original, couldn't believe that the sweet, caring girl that they knew could be so scathing. Taking a discreet glance around the youth center, Jason was glad to see that it was slowly emptying. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 1 p.m. which meant that the lunch rush was just about over as everyone would be heading back to work or to do whatever they had to do.

"I was good enough for Tommy," Kat smirked. "As well as Jean-Luc."

While the girls were shocked and gasped out loud, Kim didn't let it affect her. She uncrossed her arms and made a show of checking her nails. "If you were enough for them, then tell me this; why did they come back to me? I mean, if you truly were enough, then they should've been satisfied with you, but they weren't, weren't they?"

Kat opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Kim who continued talking. "As you can see, Tommy and I are together and even happier than before and if I recall, Jean-Luc dumped you when he found out that I knew and begged me to take him back. He even went so far as to call you a mistake." Kim smirked as she tapped her chin. "I wonder if that hurt; to be called a mistake. Did it?"

"Shut up," Kat hissed, tears threatening to fill her eyes.

Kim, if she was anything, was stubborn. Kat had caused her a lot of pain, and she wanted the Australian blonde to hurt. So therefore, she had no intention of shutting up. "Why? The truth hurts doesn't it? You were nothing more than a replacement; a poor one at that. You couldn't handle the powers and you definitely couldn't handle Jean-Luc and you sure as hell couldn't handle Tommy. How does it feel to be second best?"

"I should ask you that," Kat hissed. "Isn't that what you are to your father?" she paused. "Or even your mother, who couldn't care less?" It was a low blow and Kat knew it. The others shook their heads at the remark about Caroline. They knew that considering everything that happened during their stay in Paris that this was the wrong thing to say. Kim was not going to let it go. They were right.

Kim, on the other hand, stiffened. She said nothing. The comment about Ken only slightly bothered her, but the one about her mother did; considering the fact that she had almost lost her mother and she, as well as the others knew just how much Kim meant to her mother; enough to give up her sons. The only movement she made was to draw her hand back and let it loose to punch Kat square in her jaw. The former rangers, though resigned that Kim would retaliate, were still shocked when Kim punched Kat, while the last few people in the youth center stared at her in shock as well. Kat's head reeled back from the attack and she lost her balance and fell to the floor. She looked up and froze; Kim's eyes were cold as ice and hard as diamonds.

"Listen here and listen good you little bitch," Kim spoke, her voice the same as her eyes. "You know nothing of my mother or me. You blame everyone for everything that happened to you, yet you refuse to take blame for yourself. It's not my fault that everyone treated me that way and I refuse to be sorry for it. You are nothing more than pathetic little bitch that thinks everything should be given to her. You're not me Kat and you never will be." Kim leaned down until her face was only inches from Kat's. "Because of _you_, you have no friends and you're nothing more than a washed-up, back-stabbing slut who can't even get a guy on her own and has to contend with trying to steal someone else's. You should be ashamed of yourself." Kim resumed her standing position over the blonde, who had her face averted to hide the pain from her former friends. Kim shook her head and moved to walk away. Kat slowly stood, though she kept her head bowed. Kim's words had cut through her and had hurt more than she thought they would.

Kim paused, her back to her friends and Kat. "I really wish you'd get over this jealousy Kat. It's tiring, old and unneeded." With that, she continued walking. Just before she reached the door, she was stopped by Ernie.

"What happened Kim?" he asked. "What's wrong between you and Kat?"

"It's nothing to worry about Ernie," Kim turned to him and gave him a small smile. "I won't tell you what happened because, believe it or not, she needs someone on her side or at least to be impartial towards her."

"I understand," Ernie nodded.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Kim said. "See you Ernie."

"Bye Kim," Ernie sighed as he turned to look at Kat. He knew that it had to be something bad for Kim to hit Kat and he hoped that whatever it was would be resolved soon. He hated when the friends fought with each other. He walked over to the table and couldn't help but smile when he saw them. "Hey guys."

"Hi Ernie," they chorused.

"Kat," Ernie turned to the blonde. "Can I talk to you?"

Kat hesitated for a second before she nodded. She didn't look at her former friends as she passed them. Ernie looked over at them. "You guys should probably go after Kim; wouldn't want some poor guy to come across her in the mood that she's in."

"Sure thing Ernie," Jason said. "We'll see you later."

"Later," Ernie smiled at them as they all got up and walked out the youth center. He turned back to Kat, and beckoned her to follow him to the back. At the door, Cole paused as he looked back. He watched the two walk towards the back room.

"What do you think he wants to talk to her about?"

"I don't know," Tanya said. "But I hope he can get through to her." The others nodded before they filed out the youth center.

Back inside, Ernie sat at a table in the back and talked to Kat; he wanted to know exactly what happened between her and others. Kat was reluctant at first, but soon found her self pouring out the entire story to him. By the time she was done, she was sobbing openly and brokenly. She had told him how she felt about being separated from her friends; how regretful she was for what she had done when they were in high school; how suffocated she used to feel because she used to think that she was being compared to Kim and was scared that she would never measure up or fill the shoes that Kim had left behind; she spared no detail. Even went so far as to tell him about Jean-Luc. Ernie was sympathetic and just listened to her. When she was done, he wiped her tears and gave her his thoughts on the whole thing. Almost an hour after they went to the back room, Kat walked out feeling lighter than she had. She felt as if some of the burden had been relieved from her heart. Ernie's words came back to her and it made her determined. She would find a way to repair the damage that she had caused; she had to.

**

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**AN 2: **So there you have it; Kim confronted both her dad and Kat (which was a long time coming). Now while this is the end of Ken/Sandra, Kat will make another appearance. As for Ken's little surprise (it was a surprise to me as well. *confused look*), I'm sure you guys have probably figured it out but it won't be revealed until the next two chapters or whichever chapter is the opening of Kim's store.

**AN 3: **This story is ending too. But don't worry; I still have like two or three chapters to go. For the part with Kim/Kat, I really wanted them to fight, but by the time I was done that scene is what I got. I hoped everyone liked it. I won't make any promises on how soon the next chapter will be out but I will try (keyword: **try**) and see what I can do.

**AN 4: **i really wanted to get this part out of the way, and now that it is, I can focus on Kim's, and her friends, preparations for her store.

Anyways, read and review.

Kila


	26. Preparing for Annabelle

**A/N: **hey guys. Sorry for the long wait, but here it is: the next chapter. Hope you guys like it. Llee, thanks for the help and I hope it's everything you wanted.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing….except the reporters

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_Last time on Secrets;_

_Back inside, Ernie sat at a table in the back and talked to Kat; he wanted to know exactly what happened between her and others. Kat was reluctant at first, but soon found herself pouring out the entire story to him. By the time she was done, she was sobbing openly and brokenly. She had told him how she felt about being separated from her friends; how regretful she was for what she had done when they were in high school; how suffocated she used to feel because she used to think that she was being compared to Kim and was scared that she would never measure up or fill the shoes that Kim had left behind; she spared no detail. Even went so far as to tell him about Jean-Luc. Ernie was sympathetic and just listened to her. When she was done, he wiped her tears and gave her is thoughts on the whole thing. Almost an hour after they went to the back room, Kat walked feeling lighter than she had. She felt as if some of the burden had been relieved from her heart. Ernie's words came back to her and it made her determined. She would find a way to repair the damage that she had cause; she had to._

_(Now: Part 1—Finding the Place)_

After Kim stalked from the youth center, she decided to take a walk to clear her head. The others caught up to her and the group walked through the park. By the time they reached the lake, Kim had gotten her thoughts in order. Now that she had dealt with both Ken and Kat, she could focus on other things; like her ideas for her designs and finding a place for her store.

"Are you ok?" Jason asked, cutting into her thoughts.

"Better than ok," Kim smiled. "I feel more relaxed than I ever was."

"Maybe dealing with Ken and Kat took a weight off your shoulders," Jen suggested.

"I think it did," Kim turned to smile at her.

"So," Ethan smirked. "Now what?" The group of friends couldn't help but to laugh as they remembered his comment about that statement from when they were in Paris.

"Now," Kim looked out at the lake before looking back at her friends. "Now, I can focus on my clothes and my store."

"And we're here to help in any way we can," Alyssa smiled.

"Alright," Rocky clapped his hands. "Let's do this."

Kim laughed, which had everyone following. The friends walked back to their cars and drove back to the house.

…

Saturday morning, three days after her confrontation with Kat, found Kim finally coming out of her room. She had spent the last three days locked in her room working on her designs, while her friends took the initiative and started to look for a place. Hayley, Trent and Krista had gone back to Reefside the day before, while Angela had been called back into work and Danny and Max had headed back home as their boss was short a few people and needed the help. Tommy had stopped by his parents' house and let them know what was going on. Needless to say, they were more than happy to hear that he and Kim were back together. Now, as she walked down the stairs, she smiled as she thought on the amount of work she had gotten done. She headed to the kitchen for a little snack, before going to look for her friends. She heard noise coming from the back, so she followed it. Stepping through the porch door, she saw Rocky, Zack, Wes, Cole, Taylor and Hunter in the backyard. Walking down the steps, she smiled as she called out to them;

"Hey guys."

"Hey Kim," they replied.

"Nice of you to join us sis," Rocky smiled. "I was afraid your room might not let you out."

"Did you really?" she asked.

"Yep," he nodded. "But, you decided to grace us poor peasants with your almighty beauty and grace."

"Go to hell Rocky," Kim laughed, as did the others, when she heard him.

"Only if I can take you with me," he winked at her.

"Aww," Kim feigned sadness. "Sorry baby, but I can't go because hell is afraid I'll take over."

"As they should be," Zack laughed.

"HEY!" Kim exclaimed, as her friends had a laugh at her expense. Taylor walked off from the group and brought over the radio she had placed on the swing on the porch. Making sure it was plugged up, she placed on the table just off the side of the steps and turned the CD player on; it started and Michael Jackson's _'Beat it' _came through.

"Oh man," Zack started bouncing to the beat. "That's my song." Soon after, he started dancing, going around and pulling his friends with him. Kim laughed as she watched Wes try to the moonwalk.

"I don't think that works on the grass Wes."

"Come on Kim," Hunter said as he danced over to her. "Dance with us."

"Yeah girl," Zack yelled out. "You know this song as well as I does." Kim shook her head and allowed Hunter to pull into the dance. The seven friends were now dancing and laughing their way around the backyard. After _Beat it, _they danced through a few more songs and when the rest of the friends came through the door, they were on _Thriller_.

"What the hell?" Shane laughed.

"Come join us!" Kim yelled out.

"I see Kim was able to leave her room," Jason smirked.

"Come on guys," Cole said. "Don't just stand there."

"No harm no foul," Tommy uttered before he walked out to them.

"Might as well," Adam said. The group looked at their friends before looking at each other. Shrugging in unison, they joined their friends. The friends spent the rest of the afternoon dancing and having fun. Later, they all sat on the porch steps swings and benches surrounding the porch.

"So Kim," Eric said. "I didn't think we'd actually see you so soon."

"Eric," Kim groaned, as the others laughed; though Wes, Zack, Rocky, Cole, Taylor and Hunter laughed for a different reason. "Don't start."

"What?" he asked.

"Rocky was starting to give me crap for that too," she smiled.

"He was?" Ethan asked.

"Yep," Kim shook her head. "Hey, did anyone talk to Hayley?"

"She said everything's ok," Kira answered. "She also said she planned on being back in the next two or so days."

"Ok," Kim nodded. "What about Trent and Krista? Did they meet up with Anton and Michelle yet?"

"Well," Connor said. "Trent was a little nervous about Krista meeting his dad and our former principle and wanted to put it off. Krista thought he was being stupid and refused to do that. She didn't want him to talk his way out of it, so according to Hayley, the moment they got to Reefside, she had him call Anton to set up the meeting."

"Oh my God," Kim laughed. "I'm half expecting you to say she ended up hogtieing him to a chair."

"She might've considered it," Kira laughed.

"Why do you say that?" Cam asked from his position next to Hunter.

"Well," Kira continued. "It turned out that Krista's parents are back in town to visit her, so she decided to turn it into a Mercer-Davis family dinner."

"Hayley said it was funny watching Trent freak out about not only Krista meeting his parents," Ethan laughed. "But him meeting her parents too."

"Poor Trent," Trini smiled.

"I know how he feels," Tommy chuckled; remembering his own feelings of anxiety when meeting Kim's parents.

"I think we all do," Zack said. "Well, except for maybe Jase, Wes and Rocky."

"Why do you say that?" Tori asked.

"Because," Eric said. "Jen's parents live in the future and Mr. Collins got to know her as a ranger before she and Wes started dating."

"And Trini and Aisha's parents have known Jason and Rocky since they were kids," Billy said.

"Oh," Tori said.

"Hey Kim?" Alyssa called. "How are the designs going?"

"Good actually," Kim smiled. "Very good."

"Can we see them?" Kapri asked.

"Nope," Kim shook her head. "Not until they're completely ready."

"Don't feel bad," Aisha smiled. "She's the same way with her songs."

"Understandable," Dustin nodded his head as he squeezed his girlfriend's shoulder. The group relaxed there for the rest of the evening; just talking with each other. On Monday, two days, while the others were at the youth center, Kim, Aisha, Trini and Kira were walking around town. Kim had decided not to have her store in the mall, so she was trying to find an empty space that was near the youth center and the park. They were about two blocks from Ernie's when they found it. Kim was walking in front, Aisha and Kira behind her talking about their red ranger and Trini next to her. Trini turned to say something to Kim but she stopped abruptly; causing Aisha to almost run into her.

"Damn girl," Aisha turned to her best friend. "Give a girl some warning next time."

"Kim?" Trini called when she realized she wasn't paying attention to either of them.

"Look," Kim pointed to an empty building that was boarded up. She turned to her friends. "Let's check it out."

The four girls carefully removed the boards from the door and cautiously made their way inside. They looked around, shocked at the room. Though it was completely messed up, they could see that the place was huge.

"Whoa," Kira said. "This place is huge."

"It's perfect," Kim smiled. She looked around once more before looking back at her friends. "Guys….this is it; this is the place."

"Seriously?" Trini asked.

"Yep," Kim rocked on her heels. "I feel it; this is my store." She glanced around once more before looking back at them. "What do you guys think?"

"Well," Aisha started. "It certainly looks more than big enough; hopefully enough for whatever you have in mind."

"Trini?" Kim turned to her childhood friend.

"You're right," Trini smiled. "It is huge enough; I guess we found your space."

"Yes!" Kim squealed. "Come on, let's go tell the others." The four girls made their way back out and after fixing the boards across the door, hurried to the youth center.

…

Ernie was standing behind the counter watching the group of friends; Tommy was on the sparring mats with Jason, Rocky, Zack, Wes and Cole, while Adam, Eric and Connor were on the weights and the others were crowded around the tables.

'_It's funny how even though so many years have gone, they still act the same way they did when they were teens,' _he mused to himself. _'All it needs now is Kim rushing through the doors from a shopping trip.__' _Just as the thought completed itself, Kim and the girls came through the doors. _'Speak of the devil.' _He watched as Kim's face seemed to be flushed in excitement. Knowing they'd be thirsty, he made four smoothies (strawberry-kiwi, banana, passion fruit and pineapple) for the girls and walked over towards them; reaching just after they did.

"Hey guys," He smiled.

"Hey Ernie," the all chorused.

"Here you go girls," he held out the tray towards them.

"Thanks Ernie," Trini smiled as she took the pineapple. Kim, Aisha and Kira took the strawberry-kiwi, banana and pineapple smoothies respectively. He turned to go back but was stopped by Kim.

"Ernie wait," she smiled. "I want you to hear this too."

"Alright," he said.

"What's going on?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah," Wes said. "Why is Kim so excited?"

"I'm excited because I found it," Kim said as she bounced on her in excitement.

"Found what?" Shane asked.

"The place," Kim smiled. "I found the perfect place for the store."

"Are you serious?" Tommy looked down at his girlfriend.

"Yep," Kim grinned. "It's so big; more than enough room. And the best part is, it's only like two blocks from here."

"Where exactly is it?" Hunter asked.

"I'll show you," Kim said. "You should come too Ernie, I want you to see it."

"Sure Kim," Ernie smiled. As the group walked towards the doors, Ernie stopped at the counter to let his worker Shanelle know where he was going.

"I'll be back in five minutes," he said to her.

"Ok," she nodded. Kim was all smiles as she led her friends to the place. She truly was excited because something in her told that that was the place for her. As they came up to the barricaded door, she advised them to be careful as they went in. Taking her advice, the group made their way inside and looked around. After a few minutes, Blake turned to look at Kim.

"You're right," he said. "This place is huge."

"What do the rest of you think?" she asked her friends.

"Do you absolutely feel that this is the place for you?" Jason looked at his little sister.

"I do," Kim said, not even hesitating to give her answer.

"Okay then," Tommy smiled. "I guess we finally have something to work with."

"So the first I thing I need to do is go to the bank and see how much they're selling it for," Kim said.

"And you need an inspector out here," Billy said. "I'd offer to do it, but I'd rather someone from the city do it. At least that way, you won't run into any legal problems."

"Uncle Carson told me that when I found my place, to just call him," Kim told him. "He said that he knows a guy."

"I have an idea," Ethan said.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked.

"Well," he started. "What if Billy, Cam and I do the electricity wiring? I mean think about it; Cam did all the technical stuff for the NS team and I helped out Hayley for our team and well, from what I heard from Dr. O, Billy is more than capable as he did all that stuff for you guys."

"That's a good idea," Billy said. "What do you think sis?"

"I trust you with this stuff more than anyone else," Kim shrugged. "And besides, Ethan's right; after everything you did in the Command Center, you are more than capable."

"And I'm sure he picked up a few extra things on Acquitar," Rocky injected.

"So why don't we head back to the house and work out the rest of the details?" Adam said.

"Sounds good," Tommy said.

"I'm going to head back to the gym," Ernie said. "Congrats on finding your space Kim."

"Thanks Ernie," Kim smiled at him. She gave him a hug as he passed to go out. She turned back to her friends. "Before we head home, I want to stop by the bank."

"You're going to go now?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Kim looked at him. "We didn't see a sign anywhere and I want to know if it's going to be demolished or used for something and if it's not, I need the price."

One by one, the group made their way out of the building. Kim was one of the last ones out and when she neared the door, she looked back; she let her gaze go around the room for a few minutes before she smiled. Shaking her head, she turned and walked away.

…

Kim didn't get in touch with her uncle until Wednesday, two days later. While she was on the phone with him, Billy, Ethan and Cam were huddled together going over their ideas. After a few minutes, she hung up and turned to the others.

"Ok," she said. "Uncle Carson said that the guy can be here on Saturday to inspect the place."

"Alright," Aisha said. "We've got the inspector down and Billy and the other two are working on the technical stuff and you've already talked to the bank."

"Yep," Kim said. The bank teller that she had spoke to had told the space wasn't on the list to be demolished and had given her the price. For professional courtesy, she had given Kim a week to get the money to her after Kim had told her that she would have no problem providing the full money.

"We're done," Ethan said.

"What did you guys do?" Marah asked.

"This is a digital look at how Kim's store is going to set out," Billy said.

"It's only temporary," Cam added. "Because Kim might have some things she'd want to change or add….take a look." He turned the laptop so the group could see. The set-up was amazing. Billy hit the start button and they took a digital tour throughout the store. Entering, they saw the cash register to the front; they saw the different clothes racks and mannequins in the window; at the back were bathrooms and changing rooms. Shelves lined the walls, which were done in three colors; pink, green and white and each wall had the faint design of a crane and falcon on it. The store looked amazing.

"Guys," Kim whispered in awe. "This is amazing."

"So you like it?" Ethan asked.

"I love it," Kim smiled. "I don't think there's anything I'd change." From his position, Wes looked at Kim. He had something he wanted to tell her but he had no idea how to do it. He didn't want to offend her or anything, but it truly was something he wanted to do and after talking with his dad, he just needed to talk to Kim.

"OK," Jordan said. "We have the price for the place down already; now we just need to know the price that everything else is going to be."

"I know," Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "After the inspector is done, I'm going to need to look for the equipments for the store. I think I'll talk to my parents; I have no doubt they'd want to help me."

Wes saw his opening. "So would I." Kim turned to look at him, the others included.

"What?" Kim asked.

"I want to help you with the store," Wes clarified. "Whatever the cost of the equipments, I want to help pay for it."

"Wes," Kim started.

"Kim," he cut her off. "I know you're going to say that I don't have to, and you're right; I don't have to, but I want to. You guys have done so much for the rangers; I mean if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be rangers at all. I want to give something back, you know? And by doing this, I am."

"I don't know what to say," Kim said.

"You said that your new line is dedicated to Zordon and the power rangers, right?" Wes said; when she nodded, he continued. "Everyone else is contributing to it; Billy and the others are doing the tech stuff, the girls are helping with the modeling, Aisha and Trini are helping with the business end and the guys will be helping with the moving stuff."

"So what are you getting?" Eric asked.

"What I'm getting at is that this is my way of helping out," Wes said. "Let me help."

Kim was quiet for a few seconds. She didn't mind the help, not that she wanted it, but she couldn't just let him do this….could she?

"Beautiful," Tommy called. She turned to look at him. "What could it hurt? If I didn't think you'd castrate me, I'd offer to help myself. He's right, all of us are already helping, and this is how he wants to help."

"Are you sure?" Kim turned to Wes. "It could and probably will be expensive."

"I'm sure," Wes smiled. "And besides, I already talked to my dad about it and he agrees."

"OK," Kim smiled. "Thanks."

"You never have to thank me," Wes smiled.

"With all of us working on it," Rocky smiled. "This is turning into one huge ranger mission."

"Boy," Aisha shook her head laughing.

"What?" Rocky turned seemingly innocent eyes at her.

"That don't work on me," Aisha smiled.

"Ok guys," Kim said. "Let's do this; Billy, think you can go online and see how much the needed equipments would cost?"

"Sure thing," Billy nodded.

"We're going to need paints," Kim continued. She continued listing the things that they would need and the approximate price for them. Over the course of the next few days, the group went over ideas. They met with the building inspector and after getting the ok, they proceeded with their plans. Billy, Ethan and Cam went over the room before doing any electrical work, while the others helped cleaned out the place. Over the course of the next few weeks, movement on the store began; they had already cleaned it out and had started painting it. Kim talked to her parents regularly; and knowing that she alone wouldn't be able to get all her clothes done in time, she had sent some of her designs to her friend Antoinette Renoir, the seamstress she had worked with for her store in Paris, so her clothes were coming along perfectly. She already had boxes ready to be shipped over. The other rangers would make trips back and forth to their homes and jobs. Aisha and the others had finalized everything with the apartments and their jobs so that they could dedicate their time with helping Kim. By the end of June, her friends had officially moved into her house. Progress on the store was going along great. They had taken time off for the July 4th celebration, but had gotten right back into it after the weekend was over. By the time the August Monday weekend came, the store was almost complete. With so many people working on it, the former rangers and her Uncle Carson, everything went by smoothly and quickly. It was the second week of August and Kim was sitting on her porch working on a few more designs when Tanya approached her. It was a Wednesday, and they had decided to take a break from working on the store and most of their friends were at the park or downstairs in the basement.

"Hey Kim can I talk to you?" Tanya called out as she approached her.

"Sure Tanya," Kim said before she moved her sketch pad to the side. "What did you want to talk about?"

"It's something I've been thinking about for awhile now," Tanya said as she sat down in the seat next to Kim.

"Ok," Kim turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"What do you think about me being a teacher?" Tanya asked her friend.

"A teacher?" Kim was shocked. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Tanya smiled slightly.

"When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher?" Kim asked her. "I mean, is this a sudden thing or have you been thinking about this for awhile now?"

"It's not sudden," Tanya shook her head. "It's actually something I've been thinking about for a while now." She was quiet for a moment and Kim let her be. "Back in high school we had to do this play and we had to work with kids. Each of us had our own kid to work with; Kat taught a little girl ballet, Rocky and Adam taught two kids (boy and girl) some martial arts and I had helped a little girl with a song."

"What happened then to make you think of being a teacher now?" Kim asked.

"I love singing," Tanya said. "You know that, I know that, everyone knows that and I know that people expected to be a singer like you. When I sang with you I had so much fun, but the reason why I didn't pursue a singing career is because I realized that I didn't want to be one or rather, I didn't have the drive for it….not like you did. But when I had helped that little girl I realized that I loved it; I loved helping her get to the point where she was confident in her own skin, confident enough to go out on stage and sing."

"And then you realized you wanted to teach," Kim stated.

"Yeah," Tanya smiled. "I want to be a music teacher; maybe elementary."

"But don't you need teaching credentials," Kim asked. "Or a degree of some type in teaching?"

"Already have them," Tanya said, to Kim's shock.

"Seriously?" Kim said.

"Yep," Tanya nodded. "Though I haven't told anyone I took them in college; you're the first."

"Not even Adam?" Kim asked, a little surprised knowing that the two told each other everything.

"No," Tanya shook her head. "I wasn't sure if I'd actually get up the courage to go into teaching and I wasn't sure how he'd take it either."

"You know you're going to have to tell him?" Kim told her.

"Yeah I know," Tanya said.

"Are you sure being a teacher is what you want?" Kim asked, it's not that she was trying to discourage her friend, and even though she knew that she was going to give her support, she still wanted to make sure it was truly what her friend wanted.

"Yes it is," Tanya said. "And I already applied for a job."

"You have?" Kim was shocked again. "Where?"

"Yes," Tanya smiled. "At Angel Grove Elementary. I had applied there last year, but they didn't have an opening, but their music teacher is moving and they called me and asked if I was still interested in the job; I was, so I took it."

"Tanya I am so proud of you," Kim said as she hugged her friend. "I am behind you one hundred percent in this and I know Adam will be too."

"Thanks Kim," Tanya said as she returned the hug.

"So when do you start?" Kim asked as they pulled back from the hug.

"Next month," Tanya chuckled.

"So soon?" Kim looked at her. "But what about lessons plans and whatnots?"

"Well," Tanya placed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Mrs. Bellini, the music teacher that's leaving, was kind enough to ring up plans for the first semester. School starts on the 8th, since Labor Day is the Monday and they use the Tuesday for final preparations, so I have to be there on Tuesday to go over the plans and meet the teachers."

"Wow," Kim smiled. "Teacher Sloan, those kids are going to be so lucky to have you as a teacher."

"I'm so excited about this Kim," Tanya said. "I really can't wait for the first day."

"Me either," Kim said. "But first, you need to tell Adam." Just as she finished speaking, they heard voices in the house, one of them was Adam's. "No time like the present." Tanya laughed.

Kim got up from the couch. "I'll send him out to talk to you."

"Thanks Kim," Tanya smiled. Kim grabbed her sketchpad and headed in. she was almost to the kitchen when she saw Adam.

"Hey Adam," she smiled.

"Hey sis," Adam turned towards her.

"Tanya needs to talk to you," Kim said. "She's out on the porch."

"Alright," Adam nodded his head. "Thanks Kim."

"No problem," Kim smiled as she went off to look for her boyfriend. Kim found Tommy in the kitchen with the others. He was wearing sweats and a tank top and was wiping his neck and forehead with a cloth. "Hey Handsome, had a good workout?"

"Hey Beautiful," Tommy smiled at her before bending down for a kiss. "Yeah I did. Did you get any work done on those sketches?"

"Yes I did," Kim smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "And they are coming along really well."

"That's good to hear," a voice said behind her. She turned only to find Anton and Michelle standing there.

"Anton, Michelle," Kim squealed as she went over to them. "What are you guys doing here?"

Anton laughed as he pulled her into a hug. "We came up to see you, but we can leave if you want."

"Don't be silly," Kim laughed. She pulled away from him and moved over to hug Michelle. "Hey Michelle."

"Hey Kim," Michelle as she returned the hug. "How's everything going?"

"It's going good," Kim smiled. "The store is almost finished and I already have clothes ready to be shipped over."

"That's good to hear," Michelle said. Michelle and Anton had met Kim when she had gone to see Hayley's café and had immediately been taken with her. Her vibrant and bubbly personality had captured them and they had found her a delight; especially Anton as the two had spent time talking business. And as such, despite Kim's protests, had even donated some money for her store. It seemed Rocky's words about it turning into a ranger mission had rung true.

"How's the company going?" Kim asked.

"Mercer Industries is running quite well," Anton answered. He was about to say something else but was interrupted by a scream from outside. Looking at each other, the group hurried back to the front room and was Adam and Tanya walking in.

"What's going?" Trini asked.

"Yeah," Aisha added. "What was that scream about?"

Tanya held out her left hand. "We're getting married!"

"What?" the group shouted. Soon after Tanya was rushed by the girls while the guys congratulated Adam. The rest of the afternoon was spent as an impromptu engagement celebration. Since the store only needed a few more things, it didn't take that long to complete and was finished by the time September 1st had arrived. Kim stood inside the now completed store with her friends around her. She had decided to do a press conference and fashion show as a preview on Friday the 3rd before the store officially opened a week later on Friday the 10th. She knew that it was cutting it short to have the press conference without much of a warning, but knew she could pull it off.

_(The Press Conference—Revealing All)_

Kim paced the floor in Ernie's office at the youth center. He had given her consent to hold the press conference and fashion show at the gym and she was grateful for it. Earlier she had made the decision to reveal who she really was and it was a little terrifying to her. Right now, Tommy, Jason, Wes, Eric, Taylor and Alyssa were with Kim while Trini, Aisha, Tori, Kelly and Tanya were back checking everything; Kira, Krista, Caitlin, Sally, Marah and Kapri were getting ready for the show as were Connor, Jordan, Trent, Hunter, Dustin and Blake; and Hayley, Billy, Ethan, Cam and Danny were going over the technical stuff making sure that there was no problems. Zack, Cole, Adam, Rocky, Max and Shane were hanging out with Ernie helping with the food. The citizens of Angel Grove, having been curious about the construction on the store, had turned up to see exactly what was going on. The rumor mill running around the town was that it was a new shopping store and that it may be Annabelle's but no one knew for sure. And when one of their own announced she was having a press conference, it drew them even more as their curiosity doubled.

"Kim," Jason said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah," Kim said. "I mean, I'm only telling the world that I'm TCrane and Annabelle. Oh God, what am I doing?"

"Everything's going to be fine Beautiful," Tommy said as he rubbed her arms.

"He's right Kim," Taylor added. "You can do this; plus, we're with you every step of the way."

"And, this is kind of a big deal," Alyssa said. "So we understand if you are a little nervous."

"You're right," Kim said. "It's a huge deal, I know, but this is something I feel I have to do. It's time to bring all three of my selves back together." She sighed. "Dear God I sound like a mental patient with DID."

"Yes," Wes smiled. "You do."

"Shut up Wes," Kim chuckled, as did the others.

"What time is this starting again?" Eric asked.

"In ten minutes," Jason said looking at his watch.

"Ok," Kim said. "This is really happening."

"Yes it is," Tommy smiled at her. "And I'm proud of you."

"All of us are," Eric said. Ten minutes later, Jason looked at his watch again.

"It's time," he said.

"Ok," Kim took a deep breath and released it. "Let's do this." The group walked out from Ernie's office to flashbulbs and Kim, without pause, walked directly over to the podium with Tommy and Jason standing off to the left of her while the others found the rest of their friends in the back.

"Good afternoon," Kim said. "I would like to welcome you to this press conference and the following fashion show. I know that most, if not all, of you are wondering what exactly is going and I'm here to tell you. But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Kimberly Hart. I was born and raised here in Angel Grove until I moved to Florida in my junior year of high school. I trained with Coach Gunther Schmidt and competed in the Pan Globals and winning, before going on to compete in the 1996 Olympics where I won and became the all around Olympic Gold Medal Winner and was dubbed America's Sweetheart. Then in college, I majored in fashion and business; during and after that time, I also got into another hobby of mine; singing. So, I pursued a career in it and in 1999 brought out my first album which went number one. The albums following proceeded to number one as well. After quitting in 2001, I moved to Paris and focused on having a career in fashion. That was a good idea, as I soon started working with top designers and soon became one myself. Now I am one of the most sought after designers. Who am I you ask? While in the sports world I am known as Kimberly Hart, Olympic winner, in the music world I was known as TCrane." Here, she had to pause for the exclamations of shock, surprise and disbelief. She smiled as she knew that her next reveal would leave them even more shocked. "And, in the fashion world, you know me as Annabelle." She was not disappointed. The reporters and locals were shocked and excited about the reveal, as were the ones watching. Unbeknownst to the others, the other former rangers were watching the conference and could only look on in shock at the revealing identities of one of their own.

"Kimberly," one reporter called. When she nodded to him, he continued. "For a young woman of only twenty-seven, you have achieved a lot of success; first as a gymnast, then a singer and now a fashion designer. You have a lot of talent. It seemed as if your very good at no matter what it is you do."

"Thank you," Kim smiled.

"My question is this," the reporter continued. "Could you explain to us just what the new store is all about? And why here?"

"Well," Kim started. "As I've said, I grew up in Angel Grove; it's my home town, and I always said that if I made a career in fashion, then I would definitely have my own store in the place where I came from. The press conference tonight is to promote the opening of a new branch to _Annabelle_ right here in Angel Grove; and the fashion show right after this is to promote the new line."

"What's the new line all about?" a female reporter asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Kim smiled. "Everyone here knows of the power rangers, but what most people don't know or realize is that Angel Grove is where the first set of rangers came from and we owe a lot to them. I'm sure the citizens agree with me when I say that if it wasn't for the rangers and their willingness to defend our town, and ultimately our planet, from the evil villain Zedd or the Machine Empire, then we would not be here. So, my line is a dedication to the rangers; it's my way of saying thank you for everything that they did for us. The line will be based on the designs of some of the ranger suits; it will consist of evening-wear, sports-wear, night-out-on-the-town-wear and comfy wear."

"Do you think any of the rangers will show up?" another female reporter asked. "And do you think that they would appreciate what you're doing?"

"I don't think any rangers will show up; although that would be cool," Kim laughed, as did everyone else. "It's been thirteen years since the original rangers first came to us and while I can't say for sure, I'd like to think that they would appreciate what I'm doing." She could see most of her friends in the back and saw that they were all smiling and nodding towards her. She didn't have to look to the left of her to know that Tommy and Jason had the same expression on their faces.

"Can you tell us more about the fashion show Kimberly?" a male reporter in the back asked.

"Like I said earlier," Kim said. "The fashion is to promote the new line; but it will also feature some earlier clothes as well. The show is basically a preview, a look into what the store will have when it opens next Friday. Now, I could stand here and explain the show, but I think you'd have a better idea and a better time, by watching it. The models that you'll see tonight are some of my closest friends. They are Kira Ford (fans in the audience gasped as they recognized the name of the popular singer), Trent Fernandez, Krista Davis, Marah and Kapri Watannabe, Blake and Hunter Bradley, Connor and Jordan McKnight, Dustin Brooks, Sally Daniels and Caitlin Johnson, as well as myself. The show starts in just twenty minutes, so relax and enjoy the food that we have prepared for you. Thank you." Kim gave a slight bow and walked off the podium to applause. She headed directly to Tommy and Jason.

"You did good sis," Jason smiled as he pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks Jase," Kim said as she hugged him back.

"I'm proud of you Beautiful," Tommy smiled at his girlfriend before leaning down for a kiss.

"I'm proud of me too," Kim smiled as she pulled back from the kiss. The trio then moved to join their friends. "Hey guys."

"Hey," they answered.

"You did good Kim," Tori smiled at her.

"Thanks Tori," Kim said. "Now all I have to do is get through the show."

"Don't worry," Hayley smiled. "It's going to be great."

"Thanks Hales," Kim returned her smile. Informing her friends where she was going, Kim walked over to where her "models" were.

"Hey guys," she smiled at them.

"Hey Kim," they answered.

"Are you guys nervous?" she asked.

"Just a little bit," Trent said. Kim smiled in sympathy knowing that the comic book artist was a little shy.

"Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "Besides, I'll be with you guys as well and you're not doing it solo; it'll be done in pairs."

"That's good to know," Trent smiled.

"I'm excited," Kira said. "Because I'm helping you do this and it means that after this, the store will actually be opening soon; so I can't wait."

"Me either," Connor smiled. "I'm glad for you Kim."

"Alright guys," Kim said. "We have twenty minutes, so let's get ready." With that, the group went through the pre-show routine. They checked over the clothes and the order in which they would go. The only thing left was what music would be playing; a problem that Billy brought up to Kim.

"Kim," he said. "What music will be playing?"

"Oh," Kim said. "I'll be using a song I wrote."

"Is it the song you've been writing for the past few weeks?" Caitlin asked. Even though Kim was working on her designs, she had also spent time in her recording booth in her basement; she had told them that words kept popping up in her mind but wouldn't let her rest until she took them on pen and paper. It had only taken her a few days to complete the song and then she had locked herself in the booth until she got the words to music.

"Yes it is," Kim smiled.

"So we finally get to hear what you've been working on?" Jordan asked his sister.

"Well, not really," Kim said.

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked.

"Well," Kim explained. "It's only the instrumental version to the song; I figured I'd play the actual song when we get back home, kind of like a celebratory party for tonight."

"Sounds good," Blake said. "Even so, I'm still curious to hear the music."

"Same here," Krista smiled. The others echoed her words and they continued getting ready. Soon after, Aisha came and told them it was time. They had convened in the locker rooms and Aisha and the others had erected a screen that separated the pathway from the lockers to the start of the runway; so as it is, when they stepped out slightly moved the sheen and were in slight awe and nervousness as they saw the runway and the amount of people sitting along the length of it.

"Ready guys?" Trini asked as she walked over to them.

"It's now or never," Dustin said. "Let's do this."

"Alright," Trini smiled. She then turned to Kim. "We're going to need the music."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "I'll go give it to Zack." She walked out of the locker room careful to stay behind the screen and walked towards Ernie's office where her bag was. Finding it on the desk, she searched through it for her CD. Grabbing it, she walked back out and over to where Zack was.

"Hey sis," he called out when he saw her coming.

"Hey Zack," Kim smiled.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked, jerking his head in the direction of her hand.

"The song for us to walk down the runway," Kim said. "It's the song I've been working on….well actually it's just the music, no words."

"Sweet," Zack smiled. "Can't wait to hear it."

"You and everybody else," Kim laughed. Kim went back to her other friends and they waited patiently until it was time to start. Finally, five minutes later, they heard their cue; Zack had just started the CD and the music started, while Trini was describing what each couple was wearing.

Kira was the first out along with Connor and they were both wearing clothes from the Night On the Town section of the line. They both wore jeans, while Kira was wearing an off the shoulder yellow and red top with a river design and Connor was wearing a white tank top with jungle design that had the faint outline of a wolf looking out. The two walked down the runway to cheers and applause. Following them, were Krista and Trent who wore clothes from the Evening section; Krista was wearing a strapless pale pink dress that had a design of a falcon whose wings were extended and stretched from the top of the dress and went around to end up at the end of the dress in the front giving it a sarong-like look and Trent was wearing a black and white tuxedo with a white undershirt; when he moved, the faint grass design looked like it was blowing in the breeze. Blake and Caitlin were next and they wore clothes from the sports line; Blake was wearing a blue track pants with a white line running down the sides of it and had the name _Annabelle _written into the white in green and a white vest; Caitlin was wearing pink shorts that had the name _Annabelle _written in green on the bottom of the right leg, a white spaghetti strap tank top with the pink unzipped jacket over it; the jacket had the design of an ape on the back standing on its legs with its hands in the air. They too walked off the runway to cheers and applause. Next up was Jordan and Sally and they wore clothes from Comfy section (which could be a cross between sports and night out); Jordan was wearing a black t-shirt that had the words "T-Rex: King of the Dinos" in red on the front with a pterodactyl, triceratops, saber-tooth tiger, and mastodon beneath it and on the back was a picture of a Tyrannosaurus, its mouth open in a roar and knee-length kaki shorts; Sally was wearing a jean skirt with a yellow star design and a yellow short-sleeved tank top with a picture of the original six rangers helmets on the front. Following them were Hunter and Kapri and they were wearing clothes from the Evening section as well; Hunter was wearing a black tux with thin red vertical stripes and a red undershirt and Kapri was wearing a silver knee-length dress with a gold sash going around its waist, the bottom of the dress was a jungle scene and had gold bears in it and she was wearing 2-inch silver heels; the final couple was Dustin and Marah and they were wearing clothes from the Comfy section as well; Dustin was wearing green sweatpants and green vest that had a lightning bolt on it while Marah was wearing a black sweatshirt that had a yellow saber-tooth tiger on the back and black sweatpants that had the word _Tiger _across the bottom. Mara being who she was did a little twirl and a wave before walking back down the runway. Kim was the final person out and she had on the same outfit that she had worn to the club; form-fitting pair of dark blue jeans that had the pink design of a pond with a frog lounging on a lily pad and a silver belt that glittered as she moved, a pink halter top and the matching jacket which had the words _'Have you seen my Prince?' _done in pink on the back. When she got to the end of the runway, the crowd rose to its feet as they applauded her. She gave a bow and called out the others and they all bowed to the cheers.

Afterwards, Kim was standing with Tommy, his arm around her waist, as she talked to the press.

"Kimberly," A female reporter spoke. "I must say, you're fashion show was success."

"Thank you," Kim smiled. "It took time to get everything done, but none of it would have been possible without the help of my friends and for Ernie for letting me use the youth center; I'm thankful for them and happy that everything went well."

"Congratulations on the show and good luck on the opening of your store," the same reporter said.

"Thank you," Kim said before turning away with Tommy.

"Well there you have it folks," the reporter said. "A successful show put on by a successful woman. Fans were no doubt surprised by the revealing of exactly who she was in the world; from World Gymnast to popular music singer to successful designer, Kimberly Hart has done it all and I have no doubt in my mind that this next venture will be as successful as her others."

"Great show Kim," Ernie smiled at her as she and Tommy walked over.

"Thanks Ernie," Kim said. "And thanks for letting us use the youth center; I couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem Kim," Ernie said. "I was happy to help out."

"Now all that's left is the store opening," Eric said.

"I know," Kim smiled. "And I can't wait."

"Let's go back to the house," Zack said. "I want to hear the words to the song that was played."

"Yeah," Kira smiled. "Me too."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "Let's go. We'll see you Ernie."

"Ernie," Jason said. "We'll stop by tomorrow to help clean up."

"That's ok," Ernie smiled. "See you tomorrow guys, and Kim, once again congratulations."

"Bye Ernie," The group said as they left.

_(Back at the house)_

"That was an exciting night," Kim sighed as she opened the door.

"I hear you," Tommy said. "But you're still happy about it."

"Yep," She smiled. She and the others made their way into the front room. Kim walked over to the piano and ran her fingers across the top of it. "You guys really want to hear the song?"

"Yes," they answered. Before she could sit down, Tommy's cell phone rang.

"Don't you dare start without me," He said to Kim. He walked to the doorway. "Hello?"

"_Tommy?" a voice said. "It's me, Ryan Mitchell from LSR."_

"Ryan!" Tommy was surprised. "Hey, what's up?"

"_What's up?" Ryan asked. "What's up is that you forgot to mention something about a certain pink ranger."_

"Huh?" Tommy was a little confused.

"_Me and the others were sitting around watching TV," Ryan said. "Imagine our surprise when a press conference comes on and we see none other than the former pink ranger revealing that she was very popular in the world." _

"You guys saw the press conference," Tommy said.

"_Yes we did," Ryan said. "We were shocked; former pink ranger turns out to be America's Sweetheart in Gymnast, famous singer and popular designer, I guess the only thing I can say is thank God they don't know of her ranger past."_

"Same here," Tommy smiled. "Not to offend you or anything, but why did you call?"

"_Well," Ryan said. "After the conference, the other LSR rangers and I talked and we got in touch with some of the former rangers, when we told them about the conference they were shocked. When we told them about the store opening, all of us decided that since we missed the conference, we'd show up as a surprise at the store opening."_

"Seriously?" Tommy asked. "Wait, which former rangers did you guys got in contact with?"

"_Well," Ryan said. "We couldn't get the alien rangers but we got the Astro rangers and the Lost Galaxy rangers. So what do you think?"_

"I think that'd be the perfect surprise for Kim," Tommy said. "We had decided at the start of summer to have a mini reunion but with all the other former rangers, it can be a full ranger reunion."

"_Sounds good," Ryan said. "I'll let everyone know."_

"I'll tell Jason," Tommy said. "See you guys until then."

"_Alright," Ryan said. "See you."_

Tommy had just hung up his phone when Jason walked over to him. "What's up?"

"That was Ryan from LSR," Tommy said.

"What did he want?" Jason asked.

"He and the other rangers saw the press conference and they decided to come down next week for the opening and to have a ranger reunion."

"That sounds good and all," Jason said. "But if it is to be a full ranger reunion, what about the Mystic and Overdrive teams?"

"I forgot about those guys," Tommy said. "Alright, how about this? You contact the Mystic Force and I'll contact the Overdrive team."

"Sounds good," Jason said. The two went into the kitchen and made the calls; after talking with each team for about ten minutes, they could confirm that they were going to be there.

"That's done," Jason smiled.

"This will be the best surprise ever," Tommy said. "Come on, let's go back in. I want to hear the song from Kim." The two smiled as they walked back in to where the others were.

"There you guys are," Trini said. "I was wondering what was keeping you two."

"Nothing," Jason said. "Now, Kim, you owe us a song."

"Wow," Michelle said from her position in Anton's arms. "You guys are really excited to hear her sing; to hear this song."

"Yes we are," Trent turned to his adoptive mother. "Just wait until you hear her sing, then you'll feel the same way."

"Alright," Kim smiled as she sat down on the piano bench. "When I was writing this, I was thinking about all of us; I noticed that most, if not all, of the guys had brown eyes and I asked the girls how they could tell how their guys felt about them—

"You mean that was the real reason you asked all those questions?" Jen asked.

"Yep," Kim smiled. "And I realized that it's pretty much the way I know Tommy feels about me, so I wrote the song for it. The song is called "_Brown Eyes" _and it's for all of us girls."

(Verse 1)_  
Remember the first day when I saw your face  
Remember the first day when you smiled at me  
You stepped to me and then you said to me  
I was the woman you dreamed about  
Remember the first day when you called my house  
Remember the first day when you took me out  
we had butterflies although we tried to hide  
and we both had a beautiful night_

Each couple smiled as the words caused them to think about their own first date and how they had felt; the nervousness and the excitement.

(Pre-Chorus)_  
The way we held each other's hand,  
the way we talked, the way we laughed  
it felt so good to find true love  
I knew right then and there you were the one_

_ohhhhhh, _

(Chorus)_  
I know that he loves me cause told me so  
I know that he loves me cause his feelings show  
When he stares at me you see he cares for me  
You see how he is so deep in love  
I know that he loves me cause it's obvious  
I know that he loves me cause it's me he trust  
and he's missing me if he's not kissing me  
and when he looks at me his brown eyes tell it so_

The group looked on in awe; Kim had captured their feelings for their respective others perfectly. The guys tightened their arms around their girls, some kissed their cheeks, while the others whispered 'I love you' in their ears. Tommy looked at Kim with love in his eyes, silently thanking God and Jason, that he had another chance with her.

(Verse 2)_  
Remember the first day, the first day we kissed  
Remember the first day we had an argument  
we apologized and then we compromised  
and we've haven't argued since  
Remember the first day we stopped playing games  
Remember the first day you fell in love with me  
it felt so good for you to say those words  
cause I felt the same way too_

Tommy's mind flashbacked to that day at the lake; the first time he and Kim had kissed. It was perfect and to this day, it remains one of the best days in his entire life. He also remembered when he was the green ranger, when he and Kim had fought against each other before joining forces and when they had been put under a spell when they had ran for class president; that was the last time the two of them had had any arguments like that.

(Pre-chorus)_  
The way we held each other's hands,  
the way we talked, the way we laughed  
it felt so good to fall in love  
and I knew right there and then you were the one _

(Chorus)_  
I know that he loves cause he told me so  
I know that he loves me cause his feelings show  
When he stares at me you see he cares for me  
You see how he is so deep in love  
I know that he loves me cause it's obvious  
I know that he loves me cause it's me he trust  
and he's missing me if he's not kissing me  
and when he looks at me his brown eyes tell it so _

(Bridge)_  
I'm so happy, so happy that you're in my life  
and baby now that your apart of me  
you've showed me  
showed me the true meaning of love (the true meaning of love)  
and I know he loves me_

As she sang the words, Kim couldn't help but to look over at Tommy. She truly was happy that she and Tommy were back together again; her mom was right, she was happier with him than she ever had been. When they had first met, while she had feelings for him, her childhood with her parents had left her a little weary of guys, but throughout their time together, he had shown her that he was different from other guys; he showed her of how love was supposed to be between two people and she was thankful for him.

(Chorus)_  
I know that he loves me cause he told me so  
I know that he loves me cause his feelings show  
When he stares at me you see he cares for me  
You see how he is so deep in love  
I know that he loves me cause it's obvious  
I know that he loves me cause it's me he trust  
and he's missing me if he's not kissing me  
and when he looks at me his brown eyes tell it so  
_

_He looks at me and his brown eyes tell it…….so_

The group of friend cheered when Kim was finished; most of the girls had tears in their eyes at the emotion in the song; the amount of love that Kim had put it in. Tommy got up and walked over to his girlfriend; bending down, he captured her lips in a sensual and slightly passionate kiss. When he pulled back, he whispered against her lips;

"I love you Beautiful."

"Feeling's mutual," Kim smiled.

"That was amazing," Michelle said, her voice awed. "I can definitely see why they love hearing you sing and why you were so popular as a singer; you're amazing."

"Thanks," Kim smiled. "So, I take it you guys loved it?" she had directed her question to the girls.

"Absolutely Kim," Alyssa smiled. "I think you captured exactly what we felt."

"Seriously," Kelly said. "Did you have any doubts cuz?"

"It was really good Kim," Taylor said. "Hey, you know what I just realized? I'm hungry."

"Me too," Krista said.

"Same here," the others nodded.

"So," Jason said. "Cooking out takeout?"

The group looked at each other. "Takeout!"

"Takeout it is," Jason said. "What do you guys want?"

"How about pizza?" Kim suggested

"Pizza sounds good," Rocky said.

"Pizza it is," Jason asked. "Now what does everybody want?"

Half the group yelled out pepperoni while the other half yelled cheese. Jason chuckled as he went to the phone to dial Pizza Hut; the guy on the phone was shocked to get an order for two large pepperoni pizzas, two large cheese pizzas and one large half cheese half pepperoni pizza. Twenty minutes after placing the call, the doorbell rang.

"My purse is on the kitchen counter Jase," Kim said. "I'm paying, so no arguments." Nodding his head, Jason went to her purse before going to the door; paying the guy, he took the pizzas and walked back in. The group gathered around and after Kim and Trini had gone to the kitchen for the drinks, the group sat down to eat and talk. They were happy that the night was such a success and they couldn't wait for next week; it was Tanya's first week of teaching, Kim's store opening and unbeknownst to the others, the arrival of the rest of the former rangers.

_(Mariner Bay)_

Ryan smiled as he hung up from Tommy. The very first ranger reunion and he couldn't wait.

"So what did Tommy say?" Kelsey asked.

"He said it was a good idea and that it'd be a good surprise for Kim and the others," Ryan told her. "So he'll see us next week."

"Sounds good," Carter said.

"I still can't believe that Kim," Dana said. "The very first pink ranger, is actually TCrane and Annabelle."

"No offense," Joel said. "But I didn't think you followed fashion or music that much."

"I don't really," Dana said. "But her clothes are amazing and so is her music."

"I agree," Angela said.

"A ranger reunion," Captain Mitchell said. "It's about time for one of those."

"I can't wait," Kelsey said.

"Me either," Dana smiled. The group smiled as they turned to walk out of their former command center. He stood still as he watched his friends; thinking about the upcoming reunion, he whispered.

"I finally get to meet my sister."

"Hey you coming?" Dana smiled over at him.

"Yeah," he smiled as he jogged over to his friends, anticipation coursing through him for the upcoming meeting.

* * *

**A/N 2: **so how did u guys like it? I had fun writing it. just one more chapter to go and then the epilogue. So, read and review, and tell me what you think.

**Song: **_Brown Eyes—_Destiny's Child


	27. Annabelle and Meetings

**A/N: **another chapter down….the second to last one. I know; I'm sorry to see it end as well. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you guys like it. Enjoy.

**A/N 2: **major thanks to falcon4crane who gave me the ideas for the celebrities.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing….as usual, especially not Beyonce, Victoria Beckham, Mary Lou Retton, Shawn Johnson or Nastia Liukin or any other recognizable people or places.

_

* * *

__Last time on Secrets:_

"_A ranger reunion," Captain Mitchell said. "It's about time for one of those."_

"_I can't wait," Kelsey said._

"_Me either," Dana smiled. The group smiled as they turned to walk out of their former command center. He stood still as he watched his friends; thinking about the upcoming reunion, he whispered._

"_I finally get to meet my sister."_

"_Hey you coming?" Dana smiled over at him._

"_Yeah," he smiled as he jogged over to his friends, anticipation coursing through for the upcoming meeting. _

_(Now; Part 1: Opening Night)_

Over the course of the week, excitement reigned throughout, not only Kim's place, but the town as well. The citizens of Angel Grove were buzzed with the knowledge that one of their own was very popular throughout the world and was extremely proud of her for it. The Labor Day weekend came and went with the gang finishing up the final preparations for opening night, and for Tanya's first day of school that Wednesday. It was now Thursday, and the gang was at the store, running through the final preps for opening night the next day.

"Billy," Kim said as she passed him on her way to the front. "Did you check on the wires? Make sure everything is running fine?"

"I did sis," Billy replied. "Everything is coming along fine. Don't worry."

"Don't say that!" Kim exclaimed. The others, including Billy, turned to look at her. "Don't you know that whenever someone says that, something always goes wrong?"

"Aww come on Kim," Zack chuckled. "You don't believe that?"

"Maybe I do," Kim hid a smile. "Maybe I don't; but I'm just saying, if anything goes wrong, Billy is going to wish he _had _gone to Aquitar."

Billy cringed and turned away to the amusement of the others. At the other side of the room, Wes leaned into Eric. "Remind to never get on her bad side."

"Only if you do the same for me," Eric replied.

"Deal," Wes answered back. The two snickered to themselves quietly before going back to work. By sunset, everything was up and running and Kim couldn't be happier. The group of friends gathered in the middle of the store.

"We did it guys," Kim smiled at all of them. "By this time tomorrow, _Annabelle's _will officially open."

"WHOO!" cheers went up all around from the group.

"How about we head home?" Tommy suggested.

"Sounds good," Rocky said. "'Cause I'm getting hungry."

"You're always hungry," Adam teased.

"Bite me," Rocky responded.

"Sorry," Adam laughed. "That's 'Sha's job."

"Guys," Trini smiled as she interrupted them. "Let's go home, huh?"

"Sure," the two nodded. The group laughed and one by one, they left. Kim, as usual, was the last to leave. She stopped by the door and smiled.

"Tomorrow," she whispered. With one final smile, she turned off the lights and stepped outside to where Tommy was waiting for her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, while hers went around his waist, the two walked behind their friends.

…

The next morning, activity at the house was a little hectic. In a few hours, Kim would have the grand opening of her store and everyone was in a slight rush to get things done by then. Kim and the others still had no idea that the other former rangers were coming, and Tommy and Jason wanted to keep it that way until tonight. While everyone was at the house getting ready, Billy and Cam were at the store, giving everything one last look over. Back at the house, Kim had gathered all the girls in her room, kicking Tommy out who didn't protest as he didn't want to face an angry mob of girls with his own leading them. So as it was, he dressed in Jason's room and the two headed downstairs where the rest of the guys were waiting. That was scene Billy and Cam walked in on when they returned from the store.

"Why are all of you out here?" Billy asked.

"And where are the girls?" Cam continued.

"In Kim's room getting ready," Hunter answered.

"Kim said we're leaving when they come down," Jason told them. "So if I were you, I'd hurry and get changed."

"Good idea," Billy said, not wanting to get Kimberly mad at him.

"Need help getting dressed?" Hunter asked Cam.

"No," he shook his head. "You come in that room, I'll never get dressed in time and Kim will kill us both."

"It'd be worth it," Hunter wagged his eyebrows.

"Yeah…no," Cam smiled at him.

"Wait," Zack interrupted. "You two are dating?"

"You didn't know?" Blake asked.

"No," Zack shook his head.

"But Kim knows," Shane said. "I don't know how she figured it out, but she did."

"That's my sis for you," Jason smiled at them.

"You two better go get ready," Wes said. The two nodded and hurried up the stairs; within fifteen minutes, they were back down and waiting with the rest of the guys. Ten minutes later, they heard walking on the stairs. They looked up and stared in shock and awe when they saw the girls. They came down in twos and they were wearing clothes designed close to the ranger era they came from. First up were Krista and Caitlin, dressed in white and blue respectively; Krista was wearing a white, knee-length dress that had a silver diamond pattern (similar to Trent's uniform) while Caitlin was wearing a blue dress pants with a white tank top and the matching blue jacket over it.

"Ta da!" the two girls smiled at the boys.

"So," Krista asked. "What do you think?"

"You guys look beautiful," Trent said, coming over to his girlfriend, Ethan doing the same.

"Well, wait 'til you see the others," Caitlin smiled.

As soon as the words left her mouth, they heard more footsteps. Looking up, they saw Kira and Hayley coming down; Kira was wearing a red knee-length dress that had yellow mini pterodactyls on it, while Hayley was wearing a floor-length satin dress with long sleeves and the design of the dress was such that it started out with a light blue on top and as you moved down, it faded into darker shades of blue.

"Wow," Billy eyes were wide as he looked at Hayley.

"You like?" she asked.

"I do," he replied. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and Connor was in no better position.

"You look beautiful," he told Kira just before he pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him. "You're not too bad looking yourself."

"Don't they remind you of a young Kim and Tommy?" Jason whispered to Zack.

"Definitely," Zack smiled. The two were interrupted from their musings when Marah and Kapri came down.

Marah was in pink, Kapri in yellow; Marah was wearing a skirt which ended a half inch below her knees that had mini trees at the bottom and a v-cut top with a pocket above the left breast that hat the NS Earth ranger logo on it; Kapri was in a dress, half inch above her knees, that had swirling patterns on it, like the wind blowing. The two twirled when they came to the bottom of the stairs and Shane and Dustin walked over to their girls.

"You know Marah," Dustin said. "You're always beautiful but wow…."

"Why thank you," Marah smiled at him.

"Well?" Kapri looked at Shane.

"I'm speechless," Shane said; behind him, the other guys snickered.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Hayley told them from her spot in Billy's arms. "You haven't seen the rest of the girls yet….especially Kim."

The guys became quiet, to the amusement of the others. Another set of footsteps sounded on the stairs and they saw Sally and Tori walk down. Tori was dressed in navy blue jeans that had blue lightning bolts spread out and a blue short-sleeved, v-cut top; Sally was in a pair of jeans that stopped at her knees and had a red fire design and a red, off the shoulder top with the NS logo on the bottom right and on her feet were two-inch wedges.

"Whoa," Jordan and Blake said.

"I think they like it," Kira giggled, Connor's arm around her waist.

"I think they do," Sally laughed.

"Flies bro," Connor chuckled at his brother.

"We're next," Eric said to Wes and Cole.

"Here they are," Jason said.

Jen, Alyssa and Taylor came down together and the three guys couldn't help the intake of air. Jen was wearing a pink, strapless dress that had a faint floral design on it; Taylor was wearing jeans with a one-shoulder maroon top that was slanted at the bottom and had a faint design of a yellow eagle. Her jeans had yellow threading and she was wearing yellow and maroon pumas; Alyssa wore a red mini-skirt that had the words _Lion's Girl _across the bottom in glitter and a pale pink tank top with a white and red jacket over it that had _Tiger _across the back.

"Taylor," Eric started. "I don't even know what to say."

"The look in your eyes is enough," Taylor smiled at her boyfriend.

"I love you," Wes whispered when Jen came to a stop in front of him.

"Feeling's mutual," she smiled at him, her brown eyes sparkling in happiness.

"So what do you think Jungle Boy?" Alyssa smiled at Cole.

"What I'm thinking shouldn't be repeated," Cole smiled. The others laughed while Alyssa blushed as he pulled her into a hug. Her blush intensified when he whispered in her ear. "You have no idea how hot it is to see the words _Lion's Girl _across your ass."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," she whispered back; she knew that he liked it whenever she wore something that told the world that she was his. He kissed her before wrapping an arm around her waist, pretty much mirroring the position of everyone else.

This time, Adam and the rest of the original rangers turned back to the stairs. Coming down was Tanya and Angela; Tanya was wearing a black skirt that had a faint yellow design of a pond with a yellow sleeveless top that had two black rectangles just under the breast going around the shirt; Angela was wearing a simple black spaghetti-strap dress that fell to her knees and was slightly ruffled at the bottom.

"You girls look amazing," Zack smiled at them.

"Thank you," Tanya said. She walked over to Adam and kissed her fiancé on the cheek. "You look very handsome."

"Zack's right," he told her. "You look amazing."

"You really do look amazing," Zack told Angela.

"Thank you," she said just before she leaned in and kissed him before she turned to Rocky, Jason and Tommy. "I hope you guys are ready for your girls."

"More than ready," Rocky laughed. "That girl better hurry up and get down here."

"What was that?" Aisha asked; her and Trini three steps away from the floor.

Rocky turned to look at her and his mouth dropped open. "Uh….."

"That's what I thought," Aisha laughed. What she was wearing was slightly reminiscent of their Ninja wardrobe. She had on baggy yellow pants with two-inch heels that had yellow running through them, and a yellow crop top, the sleeves down on her arms. All in all, she looked like Princess Jasmine (without the really long hair and flying carpet). She walked over to Rocky and closed his mouth with a finger before kissing him.

Jason was still staring at Trini. She had on body-hugging, strapless, knee-length dress that had tiger stripes, with the matching jacket over her arm.

"Jason? Honey?" she called to him. "Are you ok?"

"I think you broke him," Tommy chuckled.

"Yeah I'm good," Jason said, his eyes traveling the length of her body. "Really good….Tri, you look…"

"Thank you," Trini smiled at him as she pulled him into a hug.

"Sis did a really good job," Jason said.

"I think so too," Kim's voice sounded from the stairs.

This time, it was Tommy's turn to have his mouth drop open, though he might not have been the only one. Walking down the stairs with a smile on her face, Kim looked like a princess. She was wearing a floor length, halter-top dress that hugged her body and outlined her curves. The dress had a green background and had the faint design of a white falcon whose wings were up, coming together to form the halter-top; beneath it was an upside down pink crane whose wings flared out with the bottom of the dress. She was wearing strappy, two-inch heels with tiny green, white and pink flowers on it.

Kim came to a stop in front of the group and did a little twirl. "So, what do you think Handsome?"

Tommy stared at Kim; he couldn't help it. While he adored Kim in pink, there was just something about seeing her in his colors that always got his blood boiling….even in high school. He may have touched on four colors but the ones he had felt most comfortable in were the green and white; green because that was not only the start of his ranger, but it was the beginning of his relationship with Kim; white because as the white ranger, he had finally felt like he belonged, like he was truly a part of the ranger team; the white had been his firm settlement into the ranger world and when he had solidified his relationship with Kim. So to see her in those colors together left him breathless. The only answer he could give her was to pull her into his arms and into a passionate kiss; one which lasted for about five minutes, to the amusement of the others and they broke away to the catcalls of Jason and Rocky.

"That's my answer," Tommy whispered against her lips.

"And it's a very good one," Kim whispered back before she pulled him in for a shorter, though no less passionate, kiss.

"If you two are done making out," Jason teased. "It's almost seven; we should get going."

"Right," Kim said. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah," Connor answered.

"Pretty much," Ethan added.

"Alright then," Kim smiled. "Let's go." After giving the place one last check, the group left. Kim locked the door behind her and headed to her vehicle that Tommy was driving. The ride to the store was filled with anticipation and excitement and the group could hardly wait. Within minutes, the group was at the store. They made their way inside and started preparing for the opening in an hour. They wouldn't be selling anything; the opening tonight was just so that everyone could check the store out, while the selling would start the next day. By seven thirty, people had already started gathering outside the door, including reporters. Kim couldn't believe it.

"Whoa," she breathed. "That's a lot of people."

"And they're because of you," Jason told her. She smiled up at him before walking over to Tommy. She was slightly nervous and needed to feel her boyfriend's arms around her. He was standing by himself so she just walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Beautiful?" he looked down at her.

"Just hold me," Kim said.

"Ok," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while before Kim let out sigh and slowly pulled away. "You alright now?"

"Yeah," Kim smiled. "I just needed some reassurance, that's all."

"Glad I could be of some help," Tommy smiled.

"I love you Tommy," Kim whispered.

"I love you too Beautiful," he replied before he ducked down and captured her lips in a kiss.

"Hey guys," Rocky called out to them. "It's almost eight o'clock."

"Almost show time," Kim said.

"Nervous?" Kira asked as she walked over with Connor.

"Just a bit," Kim replied.

"Don't be," Connor smiled at her. "We're with you all the way."

When it was ten minutes to eight, Kim decided to go out; with Tommy by her side, she stood in front of everyone and addressed.

"Hello," Kim smiled at them. "And welcome to Grand Opening of _Annabelle's. _I just want to let you know that tonight is not about selling anything; it's about allowing you to see the inside and what the store is all about. The store will open for business at ten tomorrow morning, but so tonight is just for you viewing pleasure."

The crowd was a little disappointed that they wouldn't be able to buy anything, but they were still excited to see the inside, and many of the young girls there knew that they would be up first thing in the morning. At two minutes to eight, Trini and Aisha walked outside with a scissors in Trini's hands. Kim smiled when they did.

"Standing with me are my two business partners Trinity Kwan and Aisha Campbell," she said. "And it's only fitting that they help with the cutting of the tape."

Positioning the scissors so that all three had a handle on it, they waited until Tommy gave them the single and then they cut the tape. Cheers and applause went up around them and they moved inside, keeping the door open to allow everyone to enter. Kim stood off to the side as she watched everyone walk around. The excitement and awe was clearly visible on their faces and it filled her with so much joy. Trini came over and the two hugged.

"This is amazing Kim," she told her. "They love it."

"Really?" Kim asked; before Trini could answer, two high school girls passed by.

"Did you see the clothes?" one of the girls asked. "I'm telling my mom that I'm shopping here from now on."

"So am I," her friend said. "It's really too bad we can't by anything until tomorrow."

"I know," the girl replied. The two girls kept talking as they passed by.

"You see Kim?" Trini smiled at her. "They love it."

"I saw the excitement," Kim said. "But I guess a part of me still didn't believe."

"Well believe it," Trini told her. The two stood there and watched as the store became even more filled with people. Aisha and Jason had walked over with Tommy to join them.

"Hey guys," Aisha said. "This is so exciting."

"I'm proud of you sis," Jason said as he pulled her into a hug.

"So am I Beautiful," Tommy smiled at her.

"Thanks guys," Kim said. She was about to say something else but was interrupted by someone calling her name. She looked up and saw two girls heading her way. When the girls were near, Kim hugged them each.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Did you think we'd miss this?" the brunette asked.

"We had to come," the blonde added.

Kim turned to her friends. "Guys this is Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin….the next Olympic winners and America's future sweethearts."

"Nice to meet you," the others replied.

"Same here," Shawn said.

"So what brings you guys all the way out here?" Aisha asked. She followed gymnastics because of Kim and from what she knew, Shawn was from Iowa and Nastia was from Texas.

"Kim's like our role model," Nastia said. "We loved her performance at the '96 Olympics and we really wanted to meet her."

"So when we saw on the news the opening of her store," Shawn said. "We figured it's our chance to finally meet her and show our support as well."

"So she's your hero, huh?" Jason smiled.

"Oh come on you guys," Kim said.

"She is," Shawn and Nastia said as one.

"You guys," Kim turned towards them.

"It's true Kim," Shawn told her.

"That's so sweet," Kim said. "I feel so blessed. And I meant what I said; you guys are going to be awesome at the games in '08."

"Thanks Kim," Nastia smiled at her, happy that she had at last met one of her role models.

"Well we've got to go," Shawn said. "But before we do, do you think we could get a picture with you?"

"Sure," Kim smiled at them. Both girls pulled out their digital cameras and Tommy did the honors.

"Thanks Kim," Nastia said.

"You're welcome," Kim smiled at them. "And it was great of you guys to come." She hugged them once more. "And good luck with everything you do."

"Thank you Kim," Nastia smiled. "Well it was nice to meet all of you."

"Same here," Tommy said. "Bye."

"Bye," the two girls said together. They waved goodbye and left. As they got into the car, they looked at each other in amazement.

"I can't believe we just met Kimberly Hart," Nastia said. They looked at each other once more before squealing in joy; their friends back home would be so jealous.

Back inside, the others had come over to stand with Kim and them. The group stood their talking when Kim froze.

"Kim?" Taylor called. "Are you ok?"

"Is that….?" Kim's voice trailed off as she looked towards the door. They turned to look and saw a dark-haired woman making her way over; Trini recognized her at once.

"Mary Lou Retton."

"Oh my God," Kim whispered.

"Who's Mary Lou Retton?" Blake asked.

"She's a former gymnast," Tommy answered. "She was the first female outside of Europe to not only score perfect tens on both the floor exercises and the vault, but to also win the all around Olympic title."

"How do you know that?" Shane asked.

"Because she's also one of Kim's favorite athletes," Tommy told him.

"I used to watch her all the time on TV," Kim said, her gaze still on Mary Lou. "When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be like her when I grew up."

"And you're just as good," Connor told his sister.

The group watched as the woman came closer. When she spotted Kim, her eyes widened in delight and she hurried her steps. As soon as she was close to Kim, she reached out and pulled her into a hug.

"Kimberly," Mary Lou said. "It is so good to finally meet you."

"Really?" Kim was beyond shocked.

"Yes really," Mary Lou smiled. "And I must say; congratulations on your success."

"Thank you," Kim smiled. "I've always wanted to meet you."

"Same here," Mary Lou said. "But I never got the chance to."

"You wanted to meet me?" Kim's eyes went wide with shock and disbelief.

"Yes," Mary Lou answered. "Kimberly, you became America's number one gymnast back in '96 when you won the Olympics and then you went on to become one of the biggest singers and one of the top designers of the world; so yes honey, I wanted to meet you."

"Wow," Kim said. "I don't know what to say. I mean, you're one reason why I took gymnastics so serious…I wanted to be like you, I wanted to be as good as you."

"Sweetie," Mary Lou lightly rubbed her cheek. "You were never as good as I was….you were better."

"Thank you," Kim whispered, tears in her eyes. Tommy, Connor and the Original Rangers knew how much those words meant to Kim; not only was Kim meeting her idol, but to hear her say that she was better than her was without a doubt the biggest compliment anyone had ever given to her.

"You're welcome sweetie," Mary Lou said. She moved her gaze from Kim and looked at the others. "Quite a group you have here."

"Thanks," Kim smiled. "They're my friends; but these are my brothers, Jordan and Connor and my boyfriend Tommy."

"Nice to meet you," Mary Lou smiled at the group. "All of you."

"Same here," they responded.

"I'd love to stay," Mary Lou turned back to Kim. "But I have to go if I want to catch my flight."

"OK," Kim nodded.

"It truly was great to meet you Kim," Mary Lou said as she pulled her into one last hug.

"Trust me," Kim smiled. "The feeling is mutual."

"Congrats once more Kim," Mary Lou said. "And good luck in all your future endeavors."

"Same to you," Kim said. "Bye."

"Bye," she waved as she walked away.

"Whoa," Kim breathed. "I just met Mary Lou Retton."

"You ok?" Hunter asked.

"I just met Mary Lou Retton," Kim said once more.

"She's in shock," Zack said.

"I think that's how Shawn and Nastia felt when they met her," Adam commented.

"As do I," Billy agreed.

"You gonna be ok Beautiful?" Tommy looked at Kim.

"Yeah," she smiled up. "I'm fine."

The group stood there looking around at everybody. They were more than happy with the turnout and knew that the night was a success. Throughout the night, the group got introduced to some of the biggest celebrities in the world; Victoria Beckham had shown up and the group was surprised, though they shouldn't be, when she and Kim had started talking like old friends. Kim had told them that the two had met when Kim had done a show in England; the fashion star had wanted to personally congratulate her on her new store opening. A few minutes after Victoria said her goodbyes, the group got another shock when Beyonce Knowles walked over.

"Hey B," Kim smiled as the two hugged.

"Hey girl," Beyonce smiled back. "How are you?"

"I'm doing ok," Kim said.

"I'd say you're more than doing ok," Beyonce laughed. "I can't believe that you're TCrane and Annabelle."

"It was a surprise to everyone," Kim giggled.

"I'll say," the singer replied. "I met you at music and fashion shows and I didn't even know I was meeting the same person!"

"Yeah," Kim laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Anyways," Beyonce smiled. "I just wanted to congratulate on your new store."

"Thanks B," Kim smiled. "It was really good to see you."

"It was good to see you to Kim," Beyonce smiled as she pulled the petite woman into a hug. "Take care and I'll see you later."

"You too," Kim smiled. "Bye."

"Bye," the singer waved and left. Kim turned back to her friends and laughed when she saw them still looking a little shocked. She just shook her head and smiled. They were halfway through, when Kim got her first surprise for the night, though she wasn't the only one. She was talking to Taylor and Alyssa when she heard a voice behind her.

"I knew that this would be as big a success as the one in Paris."

Turning around, Kim was shocked to see her parents standing there. "Mom, dad, what are you guys doing here?"

"Hi sweetie," Caroline said as she pulled Kim into a hug.

"Did you really think we wouldn't show up to our own daughter's opening?" Pierre asked as he pulled her into a hug as well.

"I'm so glad you're here," Kim said as she pulled back.

"Ladies," Pierre turned to Taylor and Alyssa. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here Mr. Dumas," Alyssa smiled. "It's good to see you too Caroline."

"It's nice to see you girls as well," Caroline smiled at them. "So how are things going?"

"They're going great," Kim said.

"Yeah," Taylor said. "Everybody here is having fun looking around and checking out the store and the clothes."

"Well that's good," Pierre nodded.

"And you won't believe who I met," Kim told them, excitement in her voice.

"Who did you meet?" Caroline asked, seeing her daughter excited.

"Mary Lou Retton," Kim smiled.

"What?" Caroline was shocked.

"That's how Kim looked," Alyssa laughed.

"You met Mary Lou Retton?" Caroline asked her daughter.

"I did," Kim laughed. "I couldn't believe it when she walked in; I was beyond shocked."

"I can imagine," Caroline smiled at her. "Ever since you were little you've always wanted to meet her; I'm glad you got the chance to."

"So am I mom," Kim smiled. "So am I."

"So where's that boy of yours?" She asked her daughter.

"Right here," Tommy said as he walked over to them, Anton and Michelle behind him. "It's a surprise to see you guys here…..though it shouldn't be."

"Hi sweetie," Caroline smiled at him even as she pulled him into a hug. "How have things been?"

"They've been good," Tommy said as he pulled back. "Pierre."

"Hello Tommy," Pierre said as they shook hands. "How've you been?"

"Good," Tommy nodded. "It's been a busy few months helping Kim get ready."

"I can imagine," Pierre nodded. "So where are your parents?"

"They couldn't make it," He replied. "They had to go out of town and won't be back until next week; they're sorry they missed tonight."

"With them being close to Kim," Pierre said. "I can imagine."

"True," Tommy smiled. "Caroline, Pierre, I'd like to introduce you to Anton and Michelle Mercer; Anton is my former boss and Trent's father and Michelle is the principal at the high school that I teach at."

"Nice to meet you," Caroline held out a hand to them.

"Same here," Anton replied. "You have a very talented and wonderful daughter."

"We're very proud of her," Pierre smiled over at Kim.

"You should be," Michelle smiled. They had a laugh at that and continued to watch the people around the store. Some minutes later, the others had noticed their arrival and had come over to greet the four. They talked for about a half hour when Tommy turned to the door and what he saw made him smile. He looked back and caught Jason's eyes and nodded his head towards the door. Jason's eyes followed the movement and he was smiling when he turned back to Tommy. With a nod, he walked off from the group and hurried to the door.

"Hey guys," he smiled as he walked up.

"Jason," The guy in front said. "It's good to see you man."

"Same here Ryan," Jason exchanged a quick man hug with the former LSR ranger. "So is everyone here?"

"We're here," TJ Johnson, the former red TURBO and blue Space ranger, spoke up. Standing behind him was the rest of the Space rangers as well as the LG rangers.

"As if we'd miss this," Ashley Hammond, the former pink TURBO and Space ranger smiled.

"Uh, excuse me?" a voice behind them spoke up. "I'm looking for a Jason Scott or Tommy Oliver?"

"Me too," another voice said.

"I'm Jason Scott," he said as he looked at the two that spoke. _'These must be the latest.'_

"Oh hi," the first guy spoke. "I'm Nick Russell; we're the ones from Briarwood." When he had spoken to them earlier, he had been warned that no one knew the identities of the rangers, so when his team showed up, since they would be in public, they would have to wait until they were in more private settings before introducing them as rangers.

"And I'm Mack Hartford," the second guy said. "We're the ones from San Angeles." he had also gotten the same warning as Nick.

"Nice to meet you guys," Jason nodded. "Come on." He walked off, heading back to his friends with the groups behind him. Within minutes they were back with the others. As he approached, he saw that Tommy was looking at him and smiling, while some of the looked on in confusion and surprise. Only Kim, who still had her back to him, hadn't seen them yet. When he was right behind her, he spoke.

"Hey sis," he said. "Turn around for a minute."

She did, and when she saw who he was with, her eyes went wide in shock. "Oh my God." She looked from one group to the other and back. "How….?"

"Jason and Tommy," Carter said. "We saw the conference and called them up."

"And then they called us," Nick said, motioning to him and Mack's team.

Kim turned to Tommy. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Tommy said.

"Before we start with introductions," Trini interrupted. "Let's finish up here and then take this back to the house as it's a lot more private; sounds good?"

"Yeah," Kim said. "Let's do that." She turned to Billy. "What time is it?"

"Five minutes until ten o'clock," he answered.

"Ok," Kim said. "Let's get the rest of these people out of here and close up."

"Ok," Aisha nodded. While Ryan and the rest of the former rangers stood off to the side, including Kim's parents, Tommy and the others went around the store gathering everyone, while Kim gave a final speech. Ten minutes later, the store was empty save for Kim's parents, Anton, Michelle and the former rangers.

"You guys ready to go?" Kim asked when they were finished.

"Yep," the group nodded.

"Alright," Kim said. She then turned to the rangers that showed up. "You're going to have to follow us."

"Alright," Ryan and the rest nodded.

"Ok then," Aisha smiled. "Let's go."

_(Part 2: Reunions)_

When they arrived at the house, Kim and the others went to change out of the clothes while the other rangers moved to the living room.

"This is a nice place," Carlos whistled.

"I know," Leo said. "I mean, I haven't been here much, but this place is better than what I've seen."

"Why don't we get comfortable?" Caroline suggested.

"Sure," they shrugged. They sat down around the room, their eyes still taking in the place. About five minutes later, the others came back into the room. Wanting to get started on the introductions, they got seated quickly. The rest of the rangers were glancing between Caroline, Pierre, Anton and Michelle anxiously; seeing it, Kim smiled. She knew why they were doing it.

"Ok," Kim said. "Before we start, these are my parents Pierre and Caroline Dumas and Trent's parents Anton and Michelle Mercer and they already know…so you guys don't have to worry." The relief that came off the group made her laugh a little.

"So," Mack asked. "How do we do this?"

"How about you guys go in order?" Pierre suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Jason said. "Alright; my name is Jason Lee Scott and I was the red Mighty Morphin ranger."

"Zack Taylor," he smiled at them. "I was the black Mighty Morphin ranger and Jason's second in command."

"Trini Kwan," she said. "I was the yellow Mighty Morphin ranger."

"Billy Cranston," he spoke up. "I was the blue Mighty Morphin ranger, the blue ninja and tech advisor to the ZEO rangers."

"Kimberly Hart," she smiled. "I was the pink Mighty Morphin ranger and the first pink ninja."

"Tommy Oliver," he said. "I was the green and white Mighty Morphin ranger, the white ninja, the red ZEO ranger and the first red TURBO ranger and the mentor and black ranger for the Dino Thunder team."

"We were the original power rangers," they said as one. While most of the others already knew this, the two newest teams couldn't help but to look on in shock and awe; sitting in front of them was the very first rangers….the ones that started it all.

"Ok, I think we broke them," Trini smiled. "Let's continue."

"I'm Aisha Campbell," she smiled. "And I was the second Mighty Morphin yellow, the yellow ninja and I gave my yellow ZEO crystal to Tanya."

"I'm Rocky," he laughed. "And I was the second red Mighty Morphin ranger, the red ninja, the blue ZEO and the first blue TURBO."

"I'm Adam," he said. "I was the second black Mighty Morphin ranger, the black ninja, the green ZEO ranger and the first green TURBO ranger."

"I'm Tanya," she smiled. "I was the yellow ZEO ranger and the first yellow TURBO ranger."

"And we were the second generation of rangers," Aisha smiled.

"But still part of the original twelve," Kim smiled; the group laughed.

"We're next," a guy in blue said. "I'm Justin Stewart and I was the second blue TURBO ranger."

"And he was the final twelfth ranger," Rocky laughed.

"Hey wait," Kelsey asked. "Wasn't there a pink ZEO ranger?"

"Yes," Tanya said. "But she's not here."

"How come?" Chad Lee asked.

"Because she's not really welcome anymore," Aisha said. "She did something that was a betrayal to us."

"I know you guys are probably curious," Tommy said. "But if we tell you now, then it'll put a dead mood on the reunion, so how about we continue and tell you guys later?"

"Ok," Dana nodded. Having agreed on that, the group went with the intros; Angela introduced herself and she was followed by the Space rangers who were Andros, Ashley Hammond, TJ Johnson, Cassie Chan, Carlos Valerte and Zhane; they were followed by the Lost Galaxy rangers which were Leo Corbett, Mike Corbett, Kai Chen, Maya, Kendrix Morgan, Karone and Damon Henderson; after them were the Lightspeed Rescue rangers, which were Carter Grayson, Dana Mitchell-Grayson, Chad Lee, Joel Rawlins, Ryan and Kelsey Mitchell and Angela Fairweather-Rawlins, tech advisor and Joel's wife; next were the Time Force rangers and they were Jen Scotts, Wes Collins and Eric Meyers; Jen explained that it was only the three of them because most of the team was from the future. The next to go was the Wild Force team; which included Cole Evans, Taylor Earhardt, Alyssa Enrile, Danny Delgado, Max Cooper and Merrick Baliton; the team explained away Merrick's absence and they moved on to the next in line which was the Ninja storm team; that included Shane Clark, Dustin Brooks, Tori Hanson, Blake Bradley, Hunter Bradley and Cam Watanabe. Following them was the Dino Thunder team; Connor McKnight, Ethan James, Kira Ford, Trent Fernandez-Mercer and Hayley Ziktor, who they introduced as their co-mentor and tech advisor. After Hayley was done, Krista, Caitlin, Sally and Jordan introduced themselves.

"Ok," Rocky clapped. "We're down to the two latest teams to join the ranger family. So, come on, introduce yourselves."

"Ok," Nick spoke up. "My name is Nick Russell and I'm the red Mystic Force ranger."

"Madison Rocca," a girl in blue spoke up. "And I was the blue Mystic Force ranger."

"Vida Rocca," the girl in pink spoke. "I was the pink Mystic Force ranger."

"Chip Thorn," a blond guy in yellow spoke. "I was the yellow Mystic Force ranger."

"Xander Bly," an Australian guy smiled, unknowingly drawing a wince from most of the original and DT teams. "I was the green Mystic Ranger."

"I'm Mack Hartford," he said. "I was the red Overdrive ranger."

"Dax Lo," a guy in blue said. "I was the blue Overdrive ranger."

"Will Aston," an African-American guy said. "I was the black Overdrive ranger."

"Ronny Robinson," a blond in yellow said. "I was the yellow Overdrive ranger."

"And I'm Rose Ortiz," a girl in pink, sitting next to Mack said. "I was the pink Overdrive rangers."

"Wow," Caroline looked around the room. "I never thought there were so many rangers."

"One big family," Kim smiled. "I bet Zordon never thought that his legacy would become so huge."

"Zordon?" Chip asked.

"He was our mentor," Jason said. "He chose us to be the very first rangers."

"And to think, if we hadn't turned back that day," Trini smiled. "This wouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Well," Zack said. "Truth be told, we never wanted to be rangers in the first place. Jason was the only one that was remotely interested."

"We all had different reasons," Billy said. "Though I think that Kimberly's was the weirdest and, no offense Kim, most stupid reason ever."

"None taken Billy," Kim laughed.

"What was your reason Kim?" Taylor asked.

"I was worried about what the helmet would do to my hair," Kim laughed.

"Are you serious?" Vida looked shocked. "You would've turned down the chance to be a ranger because of your hair?"

"I was a serious valley girl back then," Kim shook her head. "It was always shopping and saying things like, 'oh my God, like I totally can't believe that. That is like, so gross; ewe' while twirling my hair around my finger."

"No way," Kira laughed along with the others.

"Yep," Kim chuckled. "Like I said, I was the ultimate valley girl."

"I can't believe you guys didn't want to be rangers," Xander shook his head.

"I can understand that," Nick smiled.

"You didn't want to be a ranger either?" Tanya turned to him.

"No, not really," Nick said. "Our mentor had told us that to access the powers we had to believe in the magic, needless to say, I didn't. I was on my way out of town when the others were attacked and…"

"And you found the belief you needed to save them," Kim finished.

"Pretty much," Nick laughed. The group talked for a few minutes when Tommy got up from his position behind Kim.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'll be right back," he smiled at her. He walked out of the room and jogged up the stairs, going straight to their bedroom. He rummaged through his stuff; when he found what he was looking for, he smiled and pocketed it before heading back downstairs. He re-took his position behind Kim and placed a kiss on her head.

"What'd you go for?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Something important," he replied.

"You gonna tell me what it is?" she twisted a bit to see him fully.

"Not yet," he smiled before kissing her on her lips.

"What a strange coincidence," Pierre remarked, gaining everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?" Connor turned to look at him.

"Well," he started. "With the exception of Caitlin, Krista and Angela, every couple here is a ranger."

"I never noticed that," Eric remarked.

"Why do you think that is?" Caroline asked.

"I can tell you why," Ethan said. "Kim explained it to us a few months ago."

"Well what is it?" Dax asked. Ethan smiled and he told them what Kim had explained to them before. When he was done, the others looked on in surprise.

"You know," Will spoke up. "I never thought of it like that."

"Me either," TJ agreed. And that prompted them to go into a discussion about past relationships with non-rangers.

"Hey Kim," Tommy bent down to whisper in her ear. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Sure," Kim replied. She shifted as he stood up and held out his hand for her to take. They passed by the others and went out on the porch. "What did you want to talk about Handsome?"

"Kim," he started. "From the moment we met, we've been going through so many trials jus to be together, but we overcame each and everyone."

"I know," Kim smiled. "We fought and we proved that we were worth it."

"Exactly," he smiled before grabbing her hands in his. "I love you Kimberly, more than anything else in this world; you're the most important person in my life and I want you with me for all times. The moment I met you I knew that you'd always been the only one that I would ever want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Tommy," Kim's breath hitched on a gasp. "What are you saying?"

_(With the others)_

Jason had seen Tommy whisper something in Kim's ear, and like the others, had seen them walk. Unlike the others, he had kept his gaze on the two as he wanted to know what was with his best friend and little sister. He couldn't understand what they were saying but he could read the emotion in their eyes. He noticed Tommy was a little nervous and suspicion rose in his mind. When he saw Tommy grab Kim's hands, he felt that he knew what was about to happen.

"No way," he spoke out loud gaining everyone's attention.

"Jase, what is it?" Trini asked him. She turned in the direction he was looking and couldn't help but to let out a gasp.

"Guys look," she said. The group turned as one and watched Tommy and Kimberly.

"Is he going to do what I think he's about to do?" Aisha asked.

"Yes," Trini replied. While the others looked on in slight confusion and surprise, the original rangers were silently cheering for the couple.

_(With T/K)_

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. One of Kim's hands flew to her mouth.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

Tommy smiled a shy smile and dropped to one knee, the box in one hand and Kim's hand in the other. He opened it and looked up into her eyes. "I love you Kimberly Annabelle Dumas, will you marry me?"

Tears came into Kim's eyes as she nodded repeatedly.

"Is that a yes?" Tommy asked.

She pulled her hand from her mouth. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Seriously?" Tommy asked as his eyes widened in delight.

""Yes," Kim laughed. "Now put that ring on my finger."

"With pleasure," he smiled as he slid the ring on her finger. He stood up and gathered her into his arms spinning them around. When they stopped, he leaned down and kissed her; they pulled apart to loud cheering from inside. They turned towards the house and saw their friends watching them; Trini and Aisha were hugging each other while Jason kept pumping his fists in the air and with Zack or Rocky. Kim and Tommy chuckled before walking back inside. The moment they stepped through the doors, they were bombarded by the others. Aisha and Trini each grabbed one of Kim's hand and pulled her away towards the couch, the other girls following.

"Ok let's see it," Tanya smiled.

Kim held out her hand and the girls gasped. It wasn't a huge ring, which Kim was thankful for, it was perfect; her birthstone, which was in pink, was in the middle surrounded by a small set of green and white stones.

"Kim it's gorgeous," Kira smiled.

"I know," Kim smiled. "It's not too big so I absolutely love it."

"And he had it done in your favorite colors to boot," Trini smiled.

"This is the biggest thing in the ranger world," Rocky exclaimed. "Our strength marrying our heart."

Most of the others looked confused so Adam took pity on them. "Tommy was always referred to as the strength of the rangers while Kim was the heart; Zordon used to call them that all the time and I guess it stuck."

"I can't believe it," Jason cried out. "We're finally getting married!"

The original rangers cheered and hugged each other.

"'We'?" Pierre raised an eyebrow, though he was smiling.

"Yes 'we'," Zack answered. "Do you know how long we've been waiting for this?"

"When Kim and Tommy got together," Billy smiled. "We all knew that it was meant to be; we had half expected them to be married either right out of high school or during college."

"But they decided to take a few breaks," Aisha laughed. "And now, it's finally happening."

The group continued celebrating, the newest former rangers happy that they had been present to witness such a huge thing in the ranger universe. After a few minutes, Kim excused herself when her cell phone started ringing. She headed to the kitchen to take it.

"Hello?" when she recognized the voice on the other end, she was shocked. She was about to hang up but decided not to.

"What do you want?" she asked. "Don't you think we've said all we needed to say?"

She listened as they talked, and stiffened when they asked to meet her. "Why?"

After a few minutes, she let out a sigh. "I don't know why I'm agreeing to this, but ok; when and where do you want to meet?"

The person spoke again and Kim nodded, though they couldn't see her. "Alright, I'll meet you there. If you try anything…."

She listened as they re-assured her that they wouldn't before saying goodbye and hanging up. "I hope I don't regret this."

"You ok Kim?" Carter asked her.

She jumped in surprise. "Carter, I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry," he smiled.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kim answered his question. "Just a surprising phone call, that's all."

"Nothing bad I hope," he said.

"No," Kim shook her head. "At least, I hope not." She looked up at him and noticed that he seemed to be nervous about something. "You ok Carter?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's just…"

"Just what?" she asked.

"Can I talk to you?" he said. "It's important."

"Sure," Kim said; a little curious about what he had to say.

"I'm not even sure how to come out and say this," Carter sighed.

"Whatever it is," Kim reassured him. "You can talk to me about it."

"I know," he sighed. "It's just, I've never told anyone about this…not even Dana."

She was a little shocked. They were married, he and Dana, and she knew that there was nothing that she would keep from Tommy; from the way he sounded, she knew that keeping it from her was hard for him to do. And she said as much.

"That must've been hard," Kim remarked. "But why me?"

"When I met Jason at the Reds Only Mission," he answered. "He always talked about you, you or Trini…though mostly you; his little sister. He said that you were someone he could unload on because you were always so easy to talk to."

"I have been told that before," Kim smiled shyly. "Ok, I'm all ears; what do you need to talk about that you haven't told Dana yet?"

"A few months ago, I found out something, something that shocked the hell out of me," he said. "It's just…what do you do when you find out a secret that you never expected? One that changes your whole life?"

"You rely on your friends to help you get through," Kim's voice was soft as she replied. "Even though what you really want to do is to let it consume you."

"You sound like you're talking from experience," he looked at her in surprise.

"I am," Kim said. "Back in May, I found out a couple of secrets as well; secrets that changed my life."

"Care to share?" he asked as he relaxed against the counter.

"Sure," Kim smiled as she jumped onto the counter in front of him. "You know how Kelsey asked about the pink ZEO ranger?"

"Yeah," he said. "Her name was Kate or something."

"It was Kat; her name is Kat," Kim corrected him. "Anyway, I'm sure that you heard of The Letter (he nodded and she continued). Well it turns out that Kat was actually the one behind everything."

"What?" he looked over at her.

"Yeah that was pretty much everyone's reaction," Kim smiled ruefully. "She confessed to the whole thing and well, we didn't take that kind of betrayal well so we practically cut our ties with her."

"Understandable," he nodded. "I think I would've done the same though."

"And that was just the start," Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I also found out from my mom that I had two brothers out there."

"What?" his breath hitched.

"Connor and Jordan," Kim smiled. "They're my younger brothers. I was shocked when I found out. I had a screaming match with my mom and told her that she was just like my father."

"I take it your father did not win the daddy of the year award?" he said.

"No," Kim chuckled. "He didn't; my father, _Ken_ and I are not close. He was a lying, cheating bastard that cared about no one but himself."

"I can relate to how you feel," Carter said. "Do you hate him?"

"Yes," Kim didn't even hesitate to give her answer. "After everything he's done to me and my mother, he warrants it. The reason why I never knew I had twin brothers was because he threatened to take me away from her. He was pissed at her for being with someone else when he was guilty of doing it himself. He was beyond angry that she was having another man's kids. And you know what the worst of it was? he had another kid himself."

"Oh wow," Carter didn't know what to say. He wanted so bad to tell her the real reason why he sought her out but he didn't know how.

"I know," Kim shook her head. "He was angry at her for cheating on him and having another man's children yet he cheated on her and had a kid by another woman; a child that she doesn't know about…neither do I."

He noticed the wistful tone in her voice and commented on it. "You sound like you'd want to get to know him."

"I do," Kim looked up at him. "I love being a big sister, but I have an older brother out there and as much as I love Jason and see him as a big brother—

"It's not the same," he finished.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I want to meet him, you know? But I have no idea how he looks or where he is……wait, that's not right, I know he lives in Mariner Bay."

"I've always wanted to be a big brother," He said softly. "But that depends on you."

Kim's head jerked up to look at him. She started at him for few seconds before speaking, her voice slightly hesitant. "Carter? What are you saying?"

"It's strange how things work out," he said. "A few months ago I found out that Joshua Grayson, the man who I knew as my dad my entire life was not my real father. It turns out my real father wanted nothing to do with me and my mom because he was already involved with someone."

"Carter…"

"When my mom first told me I didn't believe her," he told her. "After a few days, I calmed down and allowed her to tell me the whole truth. She told me about his wife and his eventual child; a little girl that shouldn't be shown any scorn or anger from me as she was just as innocent as I was, maybe even more. She had found out her name and had looked her up; when she showed what she found to me I was proud of what she had achieved and suddenly I wanted to meet her. I wanted to get to know her, to try and be the big brother I never got the chance to be. But it couldn't happen because she wasn't in the U.S. anymore and I had no idea how to find her; but then, I got a lucky break when Ryan turned the TV on to watch a show and a press conference came on and there she was, my sister, announcing to the world who she was and what she accomplished and I couldn't be more proud of her….of you."

"Carter," Kim said; her eyes and voice filled with tears. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you really my brother?" she couldn't believe it; when Ken had told her about her having a brother, she had been hurt and furious, but then she had gotten used to the idea and had confessed to Tommy in the safety of their room just how much she wished she could meet him. And now, she had.

"Yes," he said. "And I'm not sure if you want to or not but I would—

He was cut off when Kim launched herself off the counter and into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her as he heard her cry. He smiled as he finished what he wanted to say.

"—love it if I could get to know you better."

"I've wanted to meet you for so long now," she whispered in his ears. "I finally get to meet my big brother."

He pulled back from the hug and wiped her tears. "I'm Carter Grayson, your brother.

"I'm Kimberly Hart, or rather Dumas," Kim smiled. "Your little sister."

They both laughed and Carter pulled Kim into another hug. This time, Kim pulled back and smiled up at him.

"What now?" he asked her.

"I think the others deserved to know," Kim smiled. "I'd like to get to know my sister-in-law."

"And I'd like to meet my future brother-in-law," Carter replied.

"But you already met Tommy," Kim looked a little confused.

"Yeah, but that was as a former ranger," Carted answered. "This time it's as a big brother."

"OK," Kim laughed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered them into the living room where the others were. Tommy was talking to Jason but looked up when they walked in. Though he was confused as to why Carter had his arm around Kim, he started smiling. He lost in a second when he saw the tears in Kim's eyes and on her cheeks. Narrowing his eyes, he left Jason and walked over to the two of them.

"Beautiful, are you ok?" he asked when he was in front of her. He wiped the rest of her tears and looked into her eyes.

"I'm fine," Kim reassured him. She stepped out from Carter and pulled Tommy into a kiss. "I'm ok."

"Alright," he nodded. Kim smiled at him before turning to the room.

"Guys, can I have your attention please?" she said. The group of friends became quiet and turned to Kim.

"What is it sweetie?" Caroline asked her daughter. Kim sighed before stepping away from Tommy and over to her mother. She knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands in hers.

"After we got back from Paris back in May," Kim started. "Connor, Eric and I decided to confront Ken and Sandra. We told them that we knew about what happened and we asked why they did what they did. They couldn't give us a satisfactory answer, so we cut all ties to them."

"Ok," Caroline nodded slowly. "But what does that have to do with now?"

"Before Ken left he revealed a secret, one that he kept from the both of us," Kim swallowed knowing that what she was about to say would hurt her mother, even if slightly.

"What did he say Kim?" Pierre asked his daughter.

"He told me that a few years before I was born he had an affair," Kim said. She felt her mother squeeze her hands, so she squeezed back.

"What?" Caroline was shocked, as were the others; though for Caroline it was more because she never thought his affair had started so far back.

"That's not all," Kim continued. "The woman got pregnant, but he wanted nothing to do with her or the child."

"Wait," Pierre said. "You're saying you have a brother out there?"

"Not out there," Kim smiled. "In here." At their shocked and confused looks, she laughed. She was still laughing as she turned to Zack. "You were right after all."

Zack looked at her in confusion before his eyes widened and darted to Carter and back to her. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Kim nodded.

"Right about what?" Andros asked.

"When he said I passed on a ranger legacy," Kim said. Her words had the rest of her friends staring in shock.

"Why would he say that?" Rose asked.

"Because I was an original ranger," Kim said. "My older brother is also a ranger and so is one of my younger brothers."

"So who is it?" Adam asked. Kim smiled and turned to look up at Carter.

"Carter is your brother?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," it was Carter who answered. "I found out a few months ago."

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Dana asked.

"I was still dealing with it," Carter answered, knowing that she was hurt that he had kept it from her.

"So wait," Xander said. "Who're your younger brothers?"

"Connor and Eric," Kim said before turning back to her mom. "You ok?"

"I'm shocked," she replied. "Though you'd think by now that with everything that man did, I shouldn't be." She shook her head before turning to Carter. "I'm not going to bite you nor am I angry at you; with Ken, most definitely, but not you."

"I'm glad to hear that," Carter smiled. "Do you think we could maybe get to know each other a little better?"

"I think we can do that," Caroline smiled.

"Welcome to the family," Pierre said.

"Thank you," he smiled before turning to Jason. "I know that you've been her big brother ever since you were kids, and I don't want to take that away or replace you in her life. So do you think we can split the duties between us?"

"Like I would deny Kim the chance to get to know you," Jason smirked. "She'd have my ass if I did."

"Alright then," Carter laughed, as did the others. He turned to Tommy. "Now, let's talk about you marrying my little sister."

"Aww man," Tommy groaned. "Already he's doing the big brother act."

"Sorry bro, but he can't help it," Jason laughed as he slapped him on his back. "It's ingrained into big brothers everywhere…it's like an instinct."

"Great," Tommy mumbled. "Just my luck."

The group laughed and Kim couldn't help the joy that build up inside her. Her blood family mixed in with her ranger family. She was beyond happy that the news about Carter had been accepted so easy by her mom and dad and that she wouldn't have to choose between Jason and Carter. It seemed as if everything was going great for her; her store was opening for business tomorrow, she had finally met her older brother and she had gotten engaged to the man of her dreams. Life was definitely going good. After a while, her mind drifted back to the phone call she got earlier. _'One final thing left to do.' _Shaking her head, she focused on the here and now and decided she would worry about that later.

_(Two days later—Sunday)_

Kim sighed as she walked through the park. Yesterday she had opened the store at ten and was bombarded by the amount of people. By the time closing rolled around at eight o'clock, she had made close to three thousand; not bad for a first day. To the dismay of the shoppers, the store wouldn't be open on Sunday, so the group had decided to relax. All the former rangers were staying at the house; some staying in the basement while the rest bunked up with the resident house occupants. With the others at the house, Kim came to the park because of that same call she had gotten Friday night. She sighed once more as she sat down on a park bench. All morning she had argued with herself over whether or not she should show up, but in the end, she had decided to, because if she was truthful a part of her was curious as to what they had to say. She hadn't been sitting for more than ten minutes when she heard her name. She turned and saw the person coming. They stopped a few feet from her, so she stood up and turned to face them.

"Hello Katherine."

_TBC_

* * *

**A/N 3: **so how was it? Let's see, Kim finally meets her brother, Tommy proposed and Kim has a meeting with Kat. What will the two girls talk about?

**A/N 4: **I hope the scene with Kim and Carter was ok; I wasn't sure how it would turn out, so I hope it's good. Next chapter is the final one. Until then….


	28. Life Moves Forward

**A/N: **alright, alright. Here it is….the final chapter and the longest chapter (33 in all). I know, I know; I'm sad to see it end as well, but all good things must come to an end. All thanks will be in the last part of this story, which is the Final Thoughts of me. Anyways, enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

* * *

_Last time on Secrets;_

_Kim sighed as she walked through the park. Yesterday she had opened the store at ten and was bombarded by the amount of people. By the time closing rolled around at eight o'clock, she had made close to three thousand; not bad for a first day. To the dismay of the shoppers, the store wouldn't be open on Sunday, so the group had decided to relax. All the former rangers were staying at the house; some staying in the basement while the rest bunked up with the resident house occupants. With the others at the house, Kim came to the park because of that same call she had gotten Friday night. She sighed once more as she sat down on a park bench. All morning she had argued with herself over whether or not she should show up, but in the end, she had decided to, because if she was truthful a part of her was curious as to what they had to say. She hadn't been sitting for more than ten minutes when she heard her name. She turned and saw the person coming. They stopped a few feet from her, so she stood up and turned to face them. _

"_Hello Katherine."_

_(Now)_

The two girls looked at each other, noticing the changes from the last time they saw each other a few months ago. Kim noticed that Kat's blond hair was slightly darker and she was a bit thinner than she was, her eyes though captured Kim's attention; in them, she saw that the jealousy from before was gone and in its place was remorse and longing. In that instant she knew that the Kat that wrote the letters was gone and that this was a Kat that she could see herself being friends with; not that she would let her know that…at least, not until she heard what the blonde had to say. Likewise, Kat saw that Kim had only become more mature, more beautiful since they last saw each other. Kim's hair was slightly darker as well, which always happened during the fall and winter months. What shocked her though, was instead of seeing the anger, hatred and disgust in Kim's eyes; she saw slight compassion and the willingness to start fresh. Kim brought up a hand to brush her hair from her face and Kat saw the ring on her finger. A slight smile came on her face and she knew what it meant; she was also happy to see that instead of the usual jealousy whenever she thought Tommy and Kim together, she felt acceptance…she felt happiness for them. Taking a breath, she looked back into in Kim's eyes and gave a slight smile.

"Kimberly," Kat said. "Thanks for agreeing to meet me."

"It was against my better judgment," Kim said. "But part of me is curious to hear what it is that you have to say."

"Can we sit?" Kat gestured to the bench behind them. Kim nodded and the two sat down, slightly facing each other.

"OK," Kat sighed. "Since I was the one to call you, I will go first. Let me start by doing something I should have done a long time ago." Seeing the confused look on Kim's face made Kat's lips twitch. "Apologize; I am so sorry for everything that I did. You were my first friend when I moved here and you welcomed me into your circle of friends. And I repaid you by betraying the trust that you placed in me."

"Why did you Kat?" Kim asked her. "After everything I did for you, why would you do that?"

"What I said in the house that day was only partially true," Kat said. "I was jealous of you Kim; no matter what it is that you did, you were great at it. I've never been treated that way, not even when I was back in Australia. I could see that everyone turned to you whenever they needed cheering up or if they needed someone to talk to. When I took your place as the pink ranger, I felt overwhelmed; but I still wanted to prove myself, I wanted to prove that you didn't make a mistake choosing me to carry on the legacy and for awhile, I felt like I could do it. But then, things change. Soon I felt as if I couldn't do it; I realized that sometimes they would look at me and they wouldn't see me, but they'd see you. During one of our first battles, Tommy called me by your name; I didn't pay any attention because I know that it was a huge adjustment from having worked with you for just over two years. But then after time, things got a little bit worse. They would talk about you and I know that they missed you, but as childish as it sounds, I wanted them to notice me too."

"Kat," Kim started but Kat shook her head.

"I know that you don't think so, but you left some pretty big shoes to fill Kim," Kat gave fleeting, sad smile. "And after awhile, it just became too much too handle. I wanted them to see that I was there; that I deserved their trust and their friendship. And instead of talking things over with Zordon, I let it turn to bitterness and then anger….anger at them and at you. It was so hard to hear them talk about you, about the battles that you guys fought together and what made it worse, was that I had fallen for Tommy. The way he smiled whenever he talked about you or whenever he saw your picture, it hurt more than anything. I became so jealous because I wanted his attention on me….I wanted him to love me."

"But that couldn't happen because he was still with me," Kim said. She was shocked by what she heard, but she also felt sorry for Kat. She never thought that she was feeling that way about everything and for so long.

"Yeah," Kat whispered. She took a breath and let it out on a sigh. "All that jealousy became anger; I became angry at them for still thinking about you, for not seeing that I was there. You know at one point I had started doing things similar to what you would do? Anyways, I let my anger get the better of me until I truly believed that if you weren't in their lives then they would accept me in the way that they accepted you."

"So the idea for the letters was born," Kim said. She was starting to understand why Kat had done what she did.

"Hmm-hmm," Kat nodded. "So I sent the letters out and everything felt as if it was going according to plan; but what I never counted on was the immense guilt that I would feel. When I saw how the others were, especially Tommy, I felt so bad because I knew that they didn't deserve it….you didn't deserve it, but I was so far gone into my jealousy that I felt that it was right. And then, it seemed like everyone was moving on, they began to accept and you were gone from their lives and when I realized that I could finally belong without your shadow over us, all the guilt I felt about doing what I did, was pushed deep inside. Then things started to change in our senior year when you were kidnapped."

"How so?" Kim asked; people might think she was crazy for sitting here and listening to Kat explain why she did what she did or to hear her say the things she was saying, but Kim needed to understand because deep down, she truly wanted to see if there could be a friendship between the two of them. She hated that the rangers were in such discord with one of their own; when she had told her mother that the rangers were a family, she meant it. Families fight, but they never lost sight of what was important, at least not most. The rangers had a deeper bond between than any other group of people and Kim refused to let it alienate one of their own. She knew firsthand how it felt to be an outcast to them and she didn't want anyone to go through what she did….even if it is Kat.

"When Divatox showed that you were one of the captured," Kat said. "And Tommy saw your face on the screen, I knew that I would lose him; he had so much fear and love in his eyes for you. When he saw the fake bodies being dumped into the ocean, he freaked out; he wouldn't let us leave until he was absolutely sure it wasn't you. But the worst of it was when you attacked us on the island. The moment I saw Tommy taking off his helmet to try and reach you, I knew then that despite what happened, Tommy was and will always be in love with you."

"So that's why you clung to him at the tournament afterwards," Kim said as the realization came to her. "You were afraid that something would happen between us and your secrets would be out."

"Yes," Kat looked away on a sigh. It was hard revealing herself like this to Kim, but she knew that she needed to do it. "But then you left; you went back to Florida and we didn't hear from you again. I thought that everything would be fine after that, but the damage was already done. Tommy's actions concerning you at Murianthesis and at the after party for the tournament, the way he kept looking at you, told me that he was not over you and if you had given him a sign that you wanted to work things out, he would have gladly took you back. When you showed up at the house I was terrified; I thought that everything was crashing down around me and everyone would know what I did. But I guess I was lucky because it never happened and Tommy was never told that the letters were a lie."

"And you were safe once again," Kim finished. She was slowly but surely starting to understand why Kat did what she did.

"Yeah," Kat tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I was hurt again. Tanya had never met you before, but after the air was cleared, she started referring to you as her little sister. And that hurt more than anything. I knew her longer and I was her best friend, but suddenly you were her little sister and I got jealous. When we met up in England, I pushed that jealousy and anger away. For the first time, I genuinely wanted to be your friend; I wanted you to like….to be my friend….for the first time I wished that I had never done what I did."

"If that's true Kat," Kim looked at her. "Then why did you go after Jean-Luc? If you truly wished you had never hurt us…hurt me like you did, why would you sleep with my boyfriend? Why would you put me through that pain again?" at the end of her question, Kim's voice had become tinged with agony.

"I don't know," Kat whispered. Hearing the pain in Kim's voice had brought tears to her eyes. She truly wished that she could do everything all over again, but she couldn't. All she could do now was try to fix the damage that she had created. "I honestly don't know. And it doesn't matter how much times I say 'I'm sorry' it's not going to change that I did do that."

"I don't get it Kat," Kim shook her head, tears running down her cheeks.

"I know," Kat said. "But let me finish….please?" Kim nodded, although a bit reluctant and Kat heaved a sigh before continuing. "When I came back home, I tried to push what had happened in England to the back of my mind. I never told anyone and I wasn't sure I was ever going to. When I met back up with Tommy, it wasn't really in my thoughts to try and have another relationship with him. But I did anyways and for awhile, I was happy. But then the guilt started creeping out. Sometimes I couldn't sleep because all I kept seeing was the look in your eyes when you found out that I was the one behind everything. It had hurt more than I thought possible and I felt shame for doing what I did. When Connor came home, I was forcing myself to forget about it….about everything and it almost worked; until I realized that he knew and he knew everything. After that, it's like I was determined that Tommy stayed mine; but then you came home and things went from bad to worse. I thought that you would've told them everything right away, but you didn't. You didn't care about it, it was like all you cared about was seeing everyone again; all you were happy about was being home with your friends. I prayed and hoped that nothing would change, but they did. The moment Tommy saw you, I knew things had changed; it was just like Murianthesis all over again."

"You realized that he was still in love with me," Kim whispered, her tears had stopped when Kat was talking.

"Yes," Kat nodded. "Do you remember that night in the kitchen? After we got back from the club? (Kim nodded) Everything you said that night was true; I was afraid that Tommy would leave me and go back with you. I knew that the only reason he stayed with me was because he felt honor bound; he is the noblest person I have ever met and I knew that if he wasn't, he wouldn't have taken that long to end things. The jealousy that he showed in the club when that guy was dancing with you, he has never reacted that way with me…in fact, back in high school, he barely showed any reaction if another guy would flirt with me. But with you, that was different….you were different. It may have taken me awhile to get it but I do. You and Tommy were meant to be together; you fit together like the perfect puzzle. I never should've let my crush turn into love and I never should've let it get in the way of my friendship with everyone and with you. The thing is, I knew that Tommy and I would never last, but I wouldn't listen….I didn't care. I wanted him and in the process of getting him, I hurt all my friends and I am so sorry for that."

"Can I ask you something?" Kim turned to look at her.

"Anything," Kat said, inside she hoped beyond hope that Kimberly would understand what she said today and would accept her as a friend once more.

"What did you decide to seek me out and tell me this?" Kim asked her. "I mean, from everything you've just said, it seemed as if even though you were sorry, you still couldn't bring yourself to come right out and say it. So why now? What brought on this change of heart?"

"It was you," Kat smiled at the surprised look on her face. "You and Ernie; that day at the youth center when you punched me, you told me that you were tired of my petty jealousness and that it was old and unneeded. You also said that I should start talking responsibility for why I didn't have any friends and you right. When you left, Ernie took me to his office and we talked. He listened as I told him the whole story, no lies and no embellishments and then he told me that he was disappointed in the way I treated everyone, especially you. He reminded me that you were my first friend…the first one to go out of her way to make me feel welcome….and that it's because of you why I became friends with the others….it's because of you why I was a ranger in the first place. I truly am sorry for everything I did to hurt you Kim. I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't. All I can do is ask if could ever find it your heart to forgive me and to possibly give me another chance to be your friend?"

"Kat," Kim said as she moved to her feet. She paced a bit before turning to look at the blonde. "I don't think you really understand just how much you hurt me; and not just me, but the others as well. I trusted you with my powers, with my friends and with my boyfriend and you betrayed that. When I chose you to become the next pink ranger, it wasn't because I was looking to replace me; it was because I believed that you yourself would be good. I was inviting you to bring your own talents to the field, to be your own person. I'm sorry if you felt that you had to live up to my standards, I never wanted you to feel that way. But Kat, that was no excuse to do what you did. When I got that letter about Tommy, I felt like my entire world had come crashing down on me. The thing is Kat; because of my childhood I found it very hard to trust others. Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy were exceptions because I knew them for as long as I can remember. When I met Tommy, I knew right away that he was different from other guys that were interested in me; he was something special and he was mine. I trusted him with everything I had and I knew that he would never hurt me…he would die before he let that happen. But then I got the letter saying he was with you and it literally felt as if my heart was breaking in my chest."

As Kim talked, Kat closed her eyes in despair. She truly never thought that her actions had damaged Kim so much.

"I felt like I was dying," Kim continued. "And then when the letters from everyone else came, it felt like nails on my coffin. I was destroyed; everything I ever believed was gone. After that, it became even harder to trust anyone and I had to relearn to trust myself. I went through so much and I needed my friends with me but they won't there and that was because of you. I know what you're asking for Kat, but I need to think about it. You really hurt me with what you did and now that I know why you did it, I have to think about it."

"I understand," Kat said as she wiped her tears from her cheeks. Kim didn't give her an outright 'no' and even if it was what she deserved, and for that she was thankful. Kim needing to think about it, meant that she was, at the very least, considering forgiving her.

"Ok," Kim nodded. "I truly do appreciate you telling me. Not too be rude or anything, but I have to go."

"Alright," Kat said.

"I'll see you Kat," Kim said before she turned and walked away.

"Hey Kim?" Kat called out before she got too far. When Kim turned, she continued. "Thanks for meeting me and I really am sorry."

"I know Kat," Kim gave a tiny smile. "And I know. Bye."

"Bye," Kat replied and watched as she walked away. She closed her eyes and let her body relax against the bench. "If I get a second chance, I am not messing it up." With that, she got up and headed home, all the while praying that she would get the chance to be friends with the others once more.

…

It's been about three months since Kim had talked with Kat. She hadn't told anyone about it because she had wanted to make a decision on her own without her friends' influence. During that time, Kim and Carter had gotten to know each other; while he didn't know her as well as Jason or Tommy or Connor, he was coming along pretty well. Professional wise, Kim's store was going good, and so was Tanya's teaching. Both Kim and Tommy had decided that they didn't want a long engagement, and had chosen to get married in April of the next year during the spring vacation. She had suggested that it be a double wedding with Tanya and Adam but Tanya had declined after explaining to her that this was the biggest celebration in the ranger world and it should stay as the wedding of Zordon's best rangers, the longest serving male and female. Caroline and Pierre had gone back to Paris, but that didn't stop her from calling Kim to help with the wedding preparations; even Tommy's parents, James and Melissa, stopped by occasionally; Melissa, because she wanted to help also and James because he was intrigued with the rest of the former rangers. Now though, it was about a week before Christmas and the wedding preparations had been put on hold so that the group of friends could celebrate the holiday with their friends and family. Since almost all the rangers didn't have family, they had decided to celebrate the holiday together. The girls went out and bought decorations while the guys stayed home and grilled some food. After about three hours of shopping, the girls made their way back to the house.

"God that was amazing," Tanya sighed. "Shopping is always so relaxing."

"I know," Kim laughed. "That's why I do it so often."

"What are you girls talking about?" Eric asked as he passed through the living room and saw them.

"Shopping," they replied as one.

"Oh God," Eric moaned. "Please stop."

"Oh behave," Taylor laughed at her boyfriend. "It was a good kind of shopping….one that we can all enjoy."

"What kind of shopping can the guys enjoy as well as the girls?" he asked as he went over to help them with the bags.

"Christmas shopping," Jen smiled. "You guys are helping us decorate, so therefore you get to enjoy the fruits of the shopping as much as we do."

"Ok," Eric laughed. "If you say so."

"We do," Kira smiled.

"Come on guys," Hayley said as she placed the bags in her hands on one of the couches. "Let's start decorating." The girls cheered and the boys pretended to be upset while they left what they were doing and went to help. Tommy, Jason and Rocky stayed outside with the grill and laughed at the other guys that had to help the girls. A few days later, on Christmas Eve, the girls were busy decorating the Christmas tree. Because they had spent the past few days decorating the rest of the house and cooking, Kim had decided to leave the Christmas tree for last. In terms of the cooking, all they had left to do were some crescent and cinnamon rolls. By seven o'clock that night, the Christmas tree was finished and everyone was sitting around it, talking quietly and sipping on hot chocolate.

"It's so beautiful," Caitlin said; her gaze kept going over the tree.

"It is," Kim nodded. "I think that this is going to be the best Christmas ever."

"I agree," Tanya smiled, the others nodding in agreement as well. The group stayed there talking for a few more hours before heading off to bed.

The next morning saw Rocky, Trini, Kim, Connor and Jen up earlier than the others in the kitchen finishing off the rest of the food and making breakfast. At about a quarter after eight, the others made their way into the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas," Kim smiled when she saw them.

"Merry Christmas," the group replied back.

"How early did you guys get up?" Taylor asked as she sat in one of the chairs.

"Hmmm," Trini said. "About six I think."

"That early?" Eric asked as he leaned against Taylor's chair.

"Yeah," Rocky said. "We had to finish up the rest of the food and make breakfast…..which you're no doubt happy about."

"No doubt," Adam chuckled. The others found seats around the tables and it wasn't long before they were eating and talking. The radio was on, Christmas songs playing out of it, and the atmosphere was relaxed. When they were done with breakfast, they cleaned up and made their way into the living room to exchange gifts. Since they had so many people, they had decided that the exchange would be kept to each team with the exception of two; LG would team with the Space rangers, while the three TF would team up with the WF rangers. The groups were more than happy with their gifts and they spent the rest of the morning singing songs and having a good time. Later in the afternoon, the food was set out and everyone went to get ready. By four o'clock, everyone was seated at the table and food was passed around.

"So Kim," Maddie looked over to where she was. "Are you going to be designing your own dress or are you going to buy it?"

"Design," Kim smiled. "It's almost complete. I wanted it simple, but still a little traditional."

"I can't wait to see how it looks," Rose smiled. "Hey what about the bridesmaids….have you figured out who they will be?"

"Well," Kim swallowed before she continued. "I decided that since I couldn't choose between Trini and Aisha, they would have to choose between themselves and figure out who would be the maid of honor, whichever one they choose, the other would be a bridesmaid; as for the rest of the bridesmaids, it'll be Tanya, Kira, Kelly, Angela, Hayley and Dana."

"And the bridegrooms?" Dustin asked.

"They will be Rocky, Adam, Zack, Billy, Connor, Jordan and Carter," Tommy answered. "Jason's the best man."

"Will you be designing the girls' dresses as well?" Ronny asked.

"No," it was Tanya who answered. "As much as we would like it, we decided that Kim should concentrate on her own dress and we will buy our own."

"That doesn't mean that I won't help," Kim said. "Your dresses still have to match mine."

"What's the color?" Will asked. "I mean, from what I've heard about you, you like pink a lot…so will it be the traditional white or will you go ranger?"

"Well," Kim tucked a hair behind her ear. "The colors of the wedding are pink, green and white; my wedding dress will be all three colors whereas the girls' dresses will be either pink or white or both."

"Ok," they nodded.

They talk died down for awhile and everyone enjoyed the food. When they were done, the tables were cleaned up and they retreated to the back porch to relax. All in all, it was one of the best Christmases ever.

…

It was now April and Kim and Tommy's wedding was in one week. The rangers were all excited about it, though none more so than the originals, because they were going to witness the two longest and best rangers commit to each other and start their lives together. Kim's dress was complete, and she still hadn't let anyone see it. The girls had gone shopping and had finally found the bridesmaids dresses that they liked and Kim approved of. When Ernie had been told about the engagement, he had offered up the youth center for the reception and Kim was thrilled about it. She had planned to ask him, and there was no way she would have planned to have it anywhere else as Ernie had been a part of their lives for so long and was practically a surrogate father to the original rangers, though more so the original five as they had known him since they were kids. Trini and Aisha had decided between them and had agreed that Trini would be Kim's maid of honor. That way, when Aisha got married, then Kim will be hers, Aisha will be Tanya's and Tanya would be Trini's; it was a solution that they were all happy with. The group of friends was out right now and Kim was sitting on the swing on the back porch going over some last minute details for the wedding, she also had her sketchpad with her to touch up on some of the designs she had completed. She had her iPod on, the headphones in her ear, so she didn't hear the person knock on the side of the door and jumped a little when she felt a touch on her arm.

"OH!" she looked over and saw Melissa Oliver. "Mom, you scared me."

"Sorry sweetie," Melissa chuckled lightly. "But you were so into whatever you're doing that you didn't hear me knocking."

"Oh, sorry about that," Kim smiled even as she moved her stuff so Melissa could sit down. "I'm just going over some last minute details for the wedding and for some designs."

"How are they coming along?" Melissa asked as she shifted her body to face Kim.

"Really good," Kim nodded. "I send the designs off to Paris and I can't to see how they come out."

"They'll be amazing as always," Melissa smiled at her.

"Thanks mom," Kim smiled.

"So where's that son of mine?" Melissa asked her.

"He and Jase went down to the church to make sure everything was ok for next week," Kim told her. "Well, more like Jase actually dragged him down there because he himself wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"Jason did that?" Melissa laughed.

"Yeah," Kim laughed along with her. "I think he's more excited about this wedding than Tommy and I are."

"I have noticed that," Melissa smiled. "So how are you feeling about next week?"

"I should be nervous, but I'm not," Kim said. "From the moment I met Tommy, I knew that he was something special and the more I got to know him, the more I realized that it was; the moment I fell in love with him, I knew that he was the only one I wanted to spend my life with. I love him so much and I can't wait to be Mrs. Tommy Oliver. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"So have I," Melissa said. "And I know Tommy feels the same way. From the moment he met you, I knew you were someone special; he couldn't stop talking about you. Do you know that he was excited to start school all because he had seen you at the martial arts tournament?"

"I never knew that," Kim shook her head.

"Well it's true," Melissa smiled. "He talked about you so much and since he had never done that before, I wanted to meet you. When I did, I saw why he was so enamored with you. You're a beautiful person Kim, inside and out."

"Thank you," Kim looked over at her. "He makes me feel that way."

"I just want you to know that I never believed that letter," Melissa told her as she took her hands in hers. "I saw how much you loved Tommy and I knew that you wouldn't have cheated on him….no matter what that letter said. And I was right too."

Kim looked over at her and smiled. She and Tommy had told his parents the truth about the letters, including Kat's involvement, and they were shocked. Melissa had wanted to find the blonde immediately and have a few words with her, but Kim had dissuaded her.

"Thanks for that," Kim said, as she let out a wry chuckle.

"What is it?" Melissa looked at her.

"Nothing," Kim shook her head. "It's just that, my friends did the opposite….they had actually believed them, so to hear that you never did…."

"Are you angry at them for that?" Melissa looked at her closely.

"I was," Kim looked over at her. "Even after we had made up back in '01, I still felt resentment towards them for believing the letters without a doubt when I did the opposite and questioned them. I never believed the letters until after I found out that they did."

"So what happened?" Melissa asked.

"Connor," Kim smiled as she thought of her little brother. "After the whole fiasco in England with Kat, he helped me realized that I still had anger towards my friends and that I did deserve to feel that. And then, after the fiasco here, with Kat again, I kinda went off on my friends."

"How so?" Melissa asked again, she was trying to understand what happened between the friends.

"Well," Kim tucked some hair back. "It was the same night that Kat left and we were all just trying to move on from what happened. Caitlin was looking through stuff when she found a DVD. I knew what was on it and I tried to get them not to play it, but they wanted to see what it was about."

"What was it about?"

"Them," Kim looked out over the yard. "It was about them and how I felt about them."

"Explain a bit," Melissa said.

"Well," Kim said. "I had made a tape of how much I missed them…a tape I made before I got the first letter."

"Oh my," Melissa said softly. "So how does the tape play into them finding out about you still being angry at them?"

"Well," Kim said. "Like I said, Caitlin was going through some stuff….

_Flashback_

_After Kat left, the gang decided to head outside and sit under the stars. Since it was nice out, they decided to have a small party. When Rocky decided to pop popcorn, they realized that they needed music. Trent brought out the radio while Caitlin decided to look through Kim's CD shelf for some music. She was going through the titles when she came across a DVD titled __**Feelings, **__curious, Caitlin grabbed the DVD and went in search of Kim. She stepped out on the porch and saw her standing next to Tommy talking with Hayley and Kira._

"_Hey Kim?" She called out as she walked towards her._

"_What's up Cait?" Kim asked as the girl came closer._

"_What is it?" Caitlin held up the DVD for Kim to see. "It was on the shelf between your music."_

_Kim's eyes widened when she saw the title on the cover. "It's nothing; just give it to me and I'll put it in my room." She reached out to take it, but was intercepted by Jason. "Jase, give it to me."_

"_Nah," Jason smiled. "I want to know what it is….if only because of your reaction."_

"_Jason," Kim said as she walked closer to him. "Trust me; you don't want to see it."_

"_I do," Jason smiled. "Oh come on Kim; are you drunk on here of something?"_

"_No," Kim shook her head. "It's nothing like that. It's not even anything funny or worth seeing."_

"_Now my curiosity is even bigger," Jason smirked. "I really want to know what's on it." with that, he headed into the house._

"_Curiosity killed the cat Jason," Kim said as she started after him. "Please give it back."_

"_Is there something bad on it Kim?" Trini asked. _

"_Not really," Kim said. She saw that Jason was opening up the DVD player and walked over to try and stop him. She knew that what was on the tape would make them feel even worse….especially with what just happened earlier. _

"_We won't tease you if that's what you're worried about," Rocky smiled. "I bet it's really funny."_

"_You won't think that when you see it," She whispered, though only Connor and Kira heard her, the latter giving her a funny look. Connor had figured out what the DVD was and understood Kim's whispered words. _

"_Guys," Connor spoke up. "Maybe we shouldn't see what's on it." _

"_Not you too," Rocky said. "Now I'm eager to see what's so bad about this that both you and Kim are trying to stop us from watching."_

_Kim knew that she couldn't stop them since they were this determined to watch it, so she closed her eyes briefly before letting out a sigh filled with resignation. _'This is going to be bad.' _She thought to herself. She heard the laughter before she saw anyone and despite the situation, she couldn't help but to smile. Soon after, two girls popped up on the screen, a huge smile on each of their faces._

"Hi all," _one of the girls spoke. She was brown-skinned with shoulder length jet-black hair, chocolate brown eyes and kissable lips (according to her friends). _"I bet you're wondering who we are and what's going on. Well we'll tell you; my name is Isabel Caines."

"And I'm Renee Francois," _the other girl spoke. She was light-skinned with hazel eyes and brown hair that was cut short (think Demi Moore in Ghost). _"And this is a video from our friend and roommate Kimberly Hart to her friends back home in Angel Grove."

_The camera moved around and they could see a few other people around the room. The camera focused on Kim who was wearing pink shorts over her pink leotard with her hair up in a pony tail. It continued around the room before coming back on the two girls._

"Ok," _Renee said. _"The reason we're doing this is because Kim missed you guys and was moping around…"

"I was not!" _Kim's voice could be heard in the background._

"Ignore her," _Isabel smiled. _"She was."

"Like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," _Renee looked back at Kim before turning back to the camera. _"We, Izzy and I, came up with the idea of having Kim do kind of a video tribute to you guys to show what you mean to her and just how much she missed you."

"But before we do that," _Izzy said. _"Let's introduce everyone else. Behind me over to the right, is Jesse Michaels; next to him is Ami Bellini, my best friend; and over there is Ami's brother Luc Bellini; gorgeous isn't he? Well back off ladies, he's all mine."

"Now that we have everybody," _Renee smiled. _"Let's get this show on the road."

"Ok Kim," _Izzy spoke. _"You're up."

"Thanks guys," _Kim smiled. _"Hi guys. How are you? This maybe one of the most stupid things I've ever done, but oh, well. These guys convinced me to do it." _Before she could continue, a guy ran over to her and fell to his knees._

"Kim," _the guy clasped his hands together and looked up at her. _"Don't do it. I love you baby and I want to be with you." _Seconds later, the guy flinched when he felt someone smack him across his head. He looked up at who it was._

"What the hell are you doing?" _Renee asked with her hands on her hips._

"Nee baby," _the guy turned to her. _"It's not what it looks like."

"Oh really?" _Renee brought her hands up and crossed them in front of her. _"Explain then, why my boyfriend is on his knees in front of my roommate and friend."

_In the background, Kim had her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, as did everyone else._

"It was just a joke Nee," _the guy chuckled nervously. _"I was just messing with Kim."

"Uh huh," _Renee said. She looked at him for a few seconds more before turning away._

"Renee," _the guy got of his knees and followed his girlfriend. _"Come on, it's not even my fault. Luc put me up to it."

"Luc did what?" _the camera turned to Luc, who looked around nervously._

"I have no idea what he's talking about," _Luc told her. _"I never told Johnny to do that to Kim….I'm not that stupid."

"That better be true," _Izzy replied. _

"It's not," _Johnny said. _"He did tell me."

"Luc wouldn't do something like that," _Izzy said. _"'Cause he knows if he did I'd cut him off."

"I swear I didn't," _Luc said. _"It was all Johnny."

"I thought I was making a video for my friends?" _Kim asked. She looked over at her friends and shook her head._

"You are," _Renee said. _"So, let's start over. Kim?"

"Ok," _Kim smiled at the camera. _"Now that all that craziness is over with; the point for this is because I do miss you guys…a lot and they thought that this would be a good idea and I agreed. So here it is; I miss you guys, more than I thought I would. I miss hanging out at the youth center, shopping with Sha and Tri, hanging out at the park, at the lake and I miss sparring with you Tommy...I miss just being with you. I know that with your extracurricular activities, you guys are really busy, but I do hope you miss me as much as I miss you. And that Kat hasn't replaced me in your eyes." _Tommy and the others winced when they heard that. They chanced a look at Kim and saw the pain there, and somehow they knew that it would get worse, yet they couldn't bring themselves to stop the tape…it was as if they needed to see what was on it to further repair the damage that Kat and themselves had caught. _"So, I wrote two songs to let you guys know just how much my friendship with each of you meant to me. The first song is called '_Count on Me' _and it's basically me saying that you guys can always count on me to be there for you and I know that I can always count on you to be there for me."

_The group listened to the song and couldn't help the tears that came into their eyes; to hear just how much they meant to Kim and how much she valued them made them feel like the richest people on the planet. When the song was finished, the Kim on camera wiped the tears from her eyes, as did everyone else, even those watching the tape. They looked back at Kim, but she kept her gaze on the TV knowing that it would only be painful for them later on. They turned back, just in time to hear the Kim on camera talk._

"Ok," _she smiled. _"This song is for you Tommy. It's a really simple song, but it conveys exactly how I feel about you. I love you Thomas James Oliver, more than anything else. I have never felt this way about anybody before and I never will about anyone else; you're it for me Tommy."

_Jason and the others couldn't help but to let out a round of catcalls to Tommy. Said guy, looked over at his girlfriend and smiled at her. She smiled back and he mouthed the words 'I love you' to her and she said them back._

"The song is called _'Stick with you'_," _on-screen Kim smiled_."And I hope you like it."

_I don't wanna go another day  
So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind  
Seems like, everybody's breaking up  
and throwing their love away  
but I know I got a good thing right here  
that's why I say_

_(Chorus)  
Nobody gonna love me better  
I'm a stick with you forever  
Nobody's gonna take me higher  
I'm a stick with you  
You know how to 'preciate me  
I'm a stick with you my baby  
'Cause nobody ever made me feel this way  
I'm a stick with you_

_(V-2)  
I don't wanna go another day  
So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind  
See, the way we ride in our private lives  
aint nobody getting in between  
I want to you to know that you're the only one for me  
that's why I say_

_(Chorus)_

_(Bridge)  
And now, aint nothing else I could need  
And now, I'm singing 'cause you're so, so into me  
I got you-ou-ou-ou  
We'll be making love endlessly  
I'm with you, baby with me hey yeah_

_So don't you worry about people hanging around  
they aint bringing us down  
I know you and you know me and that's all that counts  
So don't you worry about people hanging around  
they aint bringing us down  
I know you and you know me and that's, that's why I say hey_

_(Chorus—X2)_

"So there you have it,"_ Kim smiled at the camera. _"That's how I feel about you guys. I miss you guys, and I love you. Like the lyrics to the songs, I know that I can always count on you to be there for me and you can do the same. And I hope that that never changes. See ya guys."

_Kim grabbed the remote for the DVD player and paused it; then she looked over at her friends, most of them had tears in their eyes, while Tommy was giving her a love-filled smile._

"_How come we never saw this Kim?" Adam asked._

"_Why didn't you want us to see it?" Jason asked her. "It was amazing Kim."_

"_Because of this," Kim said as she pressed play on the remote._

"Well there you people have it," _Renee said. _"I hope you guys appreciate this gesture and you know how much you mean to Kim."

"Ok, I am so happy," _Izzy said. _"Today is Thursday February 25th and we have just helped our friend and roommate Kim, make a video for her friends."

_Izzy smiled at Kim before turning back to the camera. _"Like Renee said, we hope you guys liked this. Ciao bellas." _And with that, the camera went dark. The others looked at the TV for a few seconds before turning back to look at Kim. _

"_I don't understand," Zack said. _

"_It's simple really," Kim said. "Like Izzy said on the tape, we did that on February 25__th__….and I got the first letter one week later on March 4__th__."_

"_Oh my God," Trini's hand flew to her mouth. "Kimberly…"_

_The others could only look at her. They were beginning to understand why Kim had wanted nothing to do with them when they had found her a few years ago; to do that video and then to get a letter saying her boyfriend was cheating on her, they couldn't imagine the betrayal she felt._

"_Kimberly," Billy said. "We are so sorry."_

"_Just forget about it," Kim waved his words away. She walked over to the DVD player and took out the DVD before putting it back in its case. She had to get out of the room because if she stayed, she would get angry and she didn't really want that._

"_We can't just forget about it," Tanya said. "Kim, talk to us."_

"_I have nothing to say," Kim said as she started walking out of the room. "Just let it go."_

"_Kim please," Aisha turned to her best friend._

"_Please what?" Kim turned to her. "You want to talk? Fine. Let's talk about how I felt like such a fool; I did that video because I missed you guys and then I get this letter saying my boyfriend was cheating on me and that none of my friends cared enough about me to tell. I felt so humiliated and hurt when I read those letters."_

"_Kim," Rocky started, neither he nor the others could stand to hear the pain in her voice and they flinched at the anger that was starting to take over. _

"_Or we can talk about the fact that I was stupid enough to try and find out what was going on while the rest of you were perfectly happy to just believe the letters and leave it at that," Kim said. "Is that what you want to talk about?" _

"_Kimberly," Adam started. _

"_Or," Kim cut him off. "We could Talk about how much I hated you after I got those letters…how much I wished that I had never met anyone one of you."_

_When they heard that, they flinched and they couldn't hide the pain in their eyes from her; they couldn't imagine living their lives without having met Kim. _

"_Kim," Aisha spoke. "You don't mean that."_

"_That hurts doesn't?" She asked. "When you found me back in '01, I was scared because I didn't want to be hurt again and then when we found out the truth about the letters, I was relieved because that meant I couldn't hate you anymore….you didn't deserve it. But then, I found out the entire truth and Kat's betrayal was so huge that it felt like I was getting the letters all over again. And even though I had already forgiven you guys, the hatred and anger that I had felt for you back in high school came back. I just don't get it; why did you believe them? why was I the only one that tried to find out what went wrong? Why didn't you? You didn't fight for me and you allowed the person that I chose to be the replacement, to replace me in every single way. Do you know how that felt?"_

"_We are so sorry," Trini cried; tears were streaming down her face but she didn't care. The pain in Kim's voice hurt her more than anything. She moved forward and grabbed Kim's hands in hers. "You mean so much to me….to us and we regret with our whole hearts and soul that we never questioned the letters."_

"_Tri," Kim started, her eyes were full of tears as she looked at her best friend._

"_No Kim," Aisha said as she came forward; like Trini, she too had tears running down her cheeks. "She's right. We should've questioned those letters, and we never should've let our friendship with you dissolve that easily. Connor was right when he said that you were the only one that wasn't to blame; unlike us, you did try to find out what was going on and you only gave up on us when you thought that we had. I know that no matter how many times we say 'I'm sorry' it won't change what happened, but we do mean it. Please, please tell me we can get through this….that we won't lose our best friend?"_

"_You won't," Kim said as she pulled both girls into a hug. "I missed you too much and I'm not letting go. Just don't ever give up on me again."_

"_We won't," Trini whispered into her hair. "That's a promise."_

"_Good," Kim said. Her arms tightened around the two girls and they in turn tightened their arms around her. All three girls gave a start when they felt the others join the hug. "I love you guys."_

"_We love you too Kim," Rocky said. "And we will never forget that or how much you mean to us."_

"_Never," Adam echoed._

_End flashback_

"After that," Kim said. "We talked a bit more and now, we're closer than ever."

"I can see that," Melissa smiled. "I'm happy for you guys. I hated it when you weren't talking to each other, but I just like I never gave up hope that you and Tommy would be back together, I never gave up hope that your friendship would be reconciled."

"Thank you," Kim smiled. "Because I have to confess that a part of me had given up hope."

"You're welcome sweetie," Melissa smiled. "And that's understandable."

The two talked until Melissa had to leave and the others came home. Over the course of the next two days, Kim checked in with her stores while going over what her wedding vows would be. Both she and Tommy had decided to write their own rather than go with the traditional vows that the pastor would read out. She had an idea of what she wanted to say, but it wasn't a definite thing. Along with her vows, she was also working on a song for the wedding. She was going against the traditional wedding march and wanted something different to walk down the aisle to….something that spoke about she felt for Tommy. She spent days in her studio working on the words and the song was coming along perfectly. About four days before the wedding, they went through the rehearsal and two nights later, the group decided to throw both Kim and Tommy their bachelorette/bachelor party. Keeping with traditions, both parties had strippers and the entire group had fun.

_(The Wedding)_

It was early morning; the sunlight was peaking over the tree tops as the sun rose in the sky. In the master bedroom, Kim woke up with a yawn as she stretched out on her bed. She looked over at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was a little after eight. Her gaze then caught the picture of her and Tommy and she couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face. She picked up the picture and traced Tommy's face with a finger.

"Today is the day I become your wife," she said to the photo. "The day I finally become Mrs. Tommy Oliver."

She fell back on the bed with a squeal as she clutched the picture close. "I'm getting married today."

She replaced the picture before jumping from the bed and running to the bathroom. After taking care of her morning necessities, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. When she got there, she was surprised to see the rest of the girls already up and making breakfast.

"What's going on?" Kim asked as she walked over to a chair.

"Well," Jen smiled at her. "It's your wedding day today, so you missy, are not going to do anything but to relax and spend the morning preparing for it."

"As you can see, we made breakfast," Aisha said. "So eat, because after this, we're going to get our nails done and then our hair."

"Thanks you guys," Kim said as she took the offered plate from Caitlin. "Are the guys at Tommy's parents or what?"

"Yeah," Kira said as she sat down next to Kim. "Connor called me earlier and said that they would meet us at the church."

"Aunt Carrie and Melissa called and said that they would meet us at the salon," Kelly told her. Kim's parents had flown in last night and had decided to stay with the Oliver's while they were in town.

"So how are you feeling?" Tori asked. "Nervous?"

"Honestly?" Kim said as she took a bite of her omelet. "No I'm not. I'm excited because I've been waiting for this day since I was a teen. I'm marrying the guy of my dreams and I really can't wait to say 'I do'."

"I hear you," Aisha smiled at her. "And I am so happy for you….we all are."

"You and Tommy were meant to be," Hayley said.

"I for one am happy that I'm getting the chance to witness this," Maddie smiled. "It's like the biggest thing to happen in the ranger world, you know? It's like we're all invested in this."

"Oh Maddie," Kim turned to her. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure," Maddie turned to her, wondering what she wanted to know.

"Well," Kim started. "Nick told me that you're very good with a camera."

"She is," Vida injected. "She's the best."

"V," Maddie blushed at the praise from her sister and the looks she was getting from the other females.

"That's good," Kim said. "Because I was wondering if you would mind doing the wedding?"

"Are you serious?" Maddie looked over at Kim with a stunned expression on her face. "You want me to video your wedding?"

"Yes," Kim nodded. "You seem really good at it, according to your sister and boyfriend, and everyone else already helped out….just think of it as your contribution to a ranger mission."

"Wow," Maddie's eyes were slightly wide as she thought about it. "I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll do it," Kim clasped her hands together. "Please?"

"Ok," Maddie nodded as a smile made its way across her face. "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Oh thank you," Kim said as she jumped up from her seat to pull her into a hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Maddie smiled at her. "And I should be the one thanking you."

"Alright," Taylor clapped her hands. "Let's clear away the dishes and be on our way. We need to have Kim at the church at 3 o'clock."

"Let's do this," Kira said. The girls cheered; with all of them helping, the kitchen was cleaned in a short time and they headed upstairs to grab their bags before heading out. In no time at all, the girls were out of the house. They went directly to AG: Nails; all the girls got their nails done in the French manicure while Kim went a step further and had two thin green lines running from the bottom left corner to the top right corner of each nail. After leaving the nail place, the girls stopped off at Ernie's for a snack before heading over to the hair salon where they met up with Caroline and Melissa.

"Hey sweetie," Caroline smiled as she walked over to the group. "Hey girls."

"Hi mom," Kim smiled back at her before looking at Melissa. "Hi mom."

"Hi Caroline," the girls replied as one. "Hi Melissa."

"Hi girls," Melissa said. "Hi sweetie; so are you guys all excited to get your hair done?"

"Yes!" the girls all cried.

"Well let's go then," Caroline laughed. The girls entered the salon and were immediately taken to the waiting stations. They got their hair washed before getting them styled. The hours that the girls were in the salon were spent talking about the wedding and things that had being going on in their lives. Kim still hadn't told anyone about the talk she had had with Kat back in September, which felt a little strange as she rarely kept anything from Tommy or Aisha, Trini, Jason or Connor, but she knew that she had needed to do that to have a clear head for whatever decision she had finally reached. Before the girls knew it, they were finished with their hair and it was 1 o'clock. They headed back to the house to shower and pick up their dresses and the bouquet; by 1:45, they were finished up at the house and were making their way back to the church. They got to the bride's room and placed the dresses down.

"This is it," Kim smiled at them. "In one hour I'll be getting ready to walk down the aisle to marry Tommy; I can't wait."

"Well you're going to have to," Trini cut in. "Unless we start working on your make-up."

"Oh yeah," Kim laughed as well as the others. They had decided to not do that at the house, choosing to wait instead until they got to the church. "Ok, let's do this."

After that, it was a flurry of activities; the girls got their make-ups done and were into their dresses by the time 2:30 rolled around. The girls that weren't in the wedding left with smiles as they headed out to the church to find their seats. Trini and Aisha did Kim's make-up while Tanya found her clothes that she would have on under the wedding dress. At 2:45, Kim was ready; when she stepped out of the mini-changing room, the others let out loud gasps at how she looked.

"Oh my," Caroline smiled softly. "Sweetheart you look so beautiful."

"Thank you," Kim smiled.

"Tommy's going to in shock when he sees you," Melissa told her. "I know I said it before, but I am so happy that the two of you are getting married; now you'll officially be a part of the family."

"You're going to make me cry," Kim chuckled. "And I don't want to ruin my make-up."

"You don't have to worry about that," Aisha smiled. When Kim looked at her, she held up her hand showing her the label on the mascara and continued. "The joys of water-proof mascara; can survive through anything….even a crying jag."

"OK," Kim laughed. "Well, let's go get married."

"Wait," Jen said. "You can't go out yet."

"Why not?" Kira asked.

"Tradition," Jen smiled. "Something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue; you can't do a wedding without that."

"She's right," Caroline said. "And I have you're something old right here." She got her bag and searched through it until she found what she was looking for. She got it out and turned back to her daughter. "This was your grandmother's; it was a gift that she got from your grandfather when they first started dating and she's kept it ever since. A week before she died, she gave it to me and told me that I could wear it and to pass it on to my daughter when it was time. I never wore it because I never felt like I should. But now, I'm passing it to you because I know that it's yours."

She held out her hand and a necklace fell out; it was a heart shaped necklace that had the words _'To my beautiful love….always and forever' _in French. Kim turned around and allowed her mother to fasten the necklace around her neck. She turned back and held it up in her hand.

"Mom," she whispered. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome honey," Caroline smiled as she kissed her on her cheeks.

"This is your something new," Melissa said. In her hand she held a tiara that had the word _Belle _across the front. "I saw it in a store and I knew that it was perfect for you."

She walked over to Kim and fixed the tiara on her head. She stepped back and smiled at her. "It really does suit you."

"And that goes perfect with your something borrowed," Trini smiled. "My mom gave me the veil that she wore to her wedding; she wanted you to wear it."

She stepped up to Kim and fixed the veil over the tiara. "You look amazing sis….Tommy's never going to know what hit him."

The girls shared a chuckle and a hug. "Thanks Tri."

"You're welcome," Trini smiled as she pulled back from the hug.

"And finally," Aisha said. "You're something blue." In her hand was a baby blue garter. Kim sat down on the chair while Aisha placed the garter on her leg.

"Thanks 'Sha," Kim smiled at her best friend before pulling her into a hug.

"You're welcome sweetie," Aisha smiled back. "Ok, so it's now 2:50; I think we should go get into our positions."

"You really do look beautiful Kim," Krista smiled at her.

"Thank you," Kim smiled. The bridesmaids got their bouquets and made their way out of the room. They passed Pierre and smiled at him while they showed him where to go. When Pierre stepped into the room, tears came to his eyes as he saw Kim standing in front of the mirror fixing her dress.

"Oh my," He smiled. "Kimberly you look so beautiful."

"Thanks dad," Kim smiled. "Is it time?"

"Just about," he nodded.

"Ok," Trini smiled. She was the only girl left inside as she was the maid of honor. "I'll see you out there Kim."

"See you Trini," Kim smiled at her.

"Hold Trini," Caroline said. "Alright honey; I am so proud of you and I'll see you out there as well."

"Alright mom," Kim hugged her. "I love you."

"Love you too sweetie," Caroline smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"I love you as well," Melissa smiled. "And I am beyond happy that it's you that Tommy is marrying."

"So am I," Kim laughed.

"Alright," Melissa said. "I'm gonna go; no doubt Tommy is out there pacing a little, so I better go calm him down."

"Tell him I love him," Kim said.

"Will do," Melissa nodded. She met Trini and Caroline by the door and the three ladies walked out.

"You ready darling?" Pierre turned to Kim.

"More than ever," Kim smiled as she picked up her bouquet. Pierre walked over and fixed the veil over her face.

"Come on," Pierre smiled. "Let's get you to that groom of yours and get you married."

"Ok papa," Kim laughed. She hooker her arm through his and the two made their way out of the room. They met the other girls standing outside of the church doors with their male counter parts.

"Whoa sis," Rocky's mouth dropped open when he saw her. "I thought the other girls looked amazing, but you….you take the cake."

"As she should," Hayley smiled.

Before anything else could be said, it was time for them to go in.

"It's time," Billy smiled. Jordan and Kelly were first and they were followed by Zack and Angela.

"See you out there sis," Carter smiled at Kim before he led Dana down the aisle; they were followed by Billy and Hayley.

Connor and Kira were next and they were followed by Rocky and Aisha.

"Our turn," Jason smiled at Kim. "And then you. I'm happy for you Kim….for both of you."

"Thanks Jase," Kim smiled at him. When the two were gone, Kim turned to Pierre.

"Ok," she smiled at him as she took a deep, calming breath. The music started, the same song she was working on, and Pierre took Kim's hands before leading her through the doors. Everyone stood when she came in, but Kim wasn't paying attention; her eyes were completely focused on the man standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her. As they walked down the aisle, the song could be heard in the background.

_If the heart is always searching,  
Can you ever find a home?  
I've been looking for that someone,  
I'll never make it on my own  
Dreams can't take the place of loving you,  
There's gotta be a million reasons why it's true._

Tommy's breath caught in his throat as he looked down the aisle and saw Kim; she was wearing a white strapless gown that hugged her upper body and flared out when it got to her hips; the bottom part of the dress had green laces looping around it and pink flowers where the loops met each other; her bouquet was a combination of all three colors, pink, green and white. Tommy always thought Kim was beautiful, but seeing her coming down the aisle in her wedding dress made her breathtaking. Before he knew it, she was standing in front of him and Pierre was handing her over.

"Take care of her," Pierre said to him.

"I will," Tommy nodded. He took Kim's hand in his and the two turned towards the preacher. They said a prayer before starting and the wedding was underway. To Kim and Tommy, it was like a blur because they paid no attention to anything except each other. Before they knew it, it was almost time for their vows.

_When you look me in the eyes,  
and tell me that you love me.  
Everything's alright,  
when you're right here by my side.  
When you look me in the eyes,  
I catch a glimpse of heaven.  
I find my paradise,  
when you look me in the eyes.  
_

"If anyone has any reason as to why these two should not be married," the preacher looked out at the congregation. "Let them speak now or forever hold their piece."

Both Kim and Tommy looked out, as did their friends, the looks daring anyone to speak up. Kim's gaze traveled over the crowd and she saw a familiar person sitting in the back. As she looked at them, she knew what she had to do. It's been months since they last spoke and it was time they knew of her decision. She turned back just in time to hear the preacher continue.

"Wait," She spoke up, drawing looks from everyone. "I can't do this."

"Kim," Tommy squeezed her hand, fear and disbelief shining in his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I love you," she looked up at him. "More than anything, and I refuse to enter into a marriage with you with anything hanging over our heads. If I don't do this, then I wouldn't be the woman you fell in love with."

"I don't understand," Tommy looked at her, confusion in his eyes and voice.

"I know," Kim leaned up to kiss his cheek. "But just trust me."

"I do," he answered.

"Good," Kim smiled before pulling her hand from his and making her way down the aisle. Tommy looked at Jason, who had tapped him on his shoulder, shaking his head and dropping to sit on the steps, his gaze following Kim.

Kim walked down the aisle and stopped at the second to last bench, holding out her hand to the person sitting there. When they person stood up, Tommy and the others tensed in anger and disbelief. Kim could make out Tanya's voice asking what they were doing there.

"Hi Kat," Kim said.

"Kimberly," Katherine looked at her, before looking around. She saw confused looks on most of the guests' faces, but anger on not only the former rangers' faces, but Kim and Tommy's parents as well. "What are you doing?"

"A few months ago you came to me," Kim spoke, her voice soft, her words for Kat alone. "You explained to me everything that was going on and I told you that I needed time to think things through. Well I did."

"Kim," Kat started.

"Let me finish," Kim held up her hand. "At first, I didn't want to forgive you, but then I realized that doing that would make me a hypocrite as I would be refusing to let go of the past and what happened. Life is short Kat and I learned that the hard way. Last May, my mom was in accident and she almost lost her life and that woke me up, but I still couldn't let go of the anger from what you put me through, but I have. I forgive you Kat, for everything. And I'd like us to start over."

"What?" Kat's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm giving you a second chance Kat," Kim smiled at her. "A chance to truly be my friend; now I'm not saying it will be easy because you will have to work to regain my trust…to regain everyone's trust, but I have faith in you Kat and I believe that you can do it. You can handle this and you can make it work….if I never did, I never would've chosen you in the first place. So what do you say? Do you think you could do it?"

"Yes," Kat smiled. "At least, I'll be willing to try. I miss my friends…more than anything else and I do regret everything I did."

"I know," Kim said. "Remember, this is your last chance, so don't blow it."

"I won't," Kat laughed as she wiped her tears.

"OK," Kim smiled. "I'll see you at the reception."

"OK," Kat nodded. "Kim?"

"Yeah?" Kim looked at her.

"Thanks for inviting me," Kat said.

"You're welcome," Kim smiled before turning to go back up the aisle. She stopped a few feet away before turning back to Kat who was just about to reclaim her seat. Kim stopped in front of and once more, she held out her hand. "Come on."

"What are you doing?" Kat asked even as she placed her hand in hers. She allowed Kim to pull her from the bench to stand next to her. Kim smiled at her before walking back up the aisle. "Kim?"

"If you're going to try again," Kim smiled over at her. "Then you need to be down here."

Once again, Kat's eyes filled with tears. She allowed Kim to lead her down the aisle, ignoring the looks from everyone's faces. Kim placed in the second row while Trini and the others came closer. Aisha opened her mouth to speak, but Kim cut her off.

"I wanted her here," Kim told them. "I forgave her for what she did and you should too. I was the one that was hurt most by it and if I could move past it, then so should you. I'm giving her a second chance because I truly believe that she is sincerely regretful for what she did and because she deserves it."

"Are you sure Beautiful?" Tommy looked at her.

"Positive," Kim nodded. "Like I said, I wouldn't be the woman you fell in love with if I didn't. Now, let's continue with this wedding shall we?"

"If you're sure," Tommy said, referring not to the wedding but to Kat.

"More than anything," Kim smiled at him. "So let's go make me Mrs. Tommy Oliver."

_How long will I be waiting,  
to be with you again  
Gonna tell you that I love you,  
in the best way that I can.  
I can't take a day without you here;  
you're the light that makes my darkness disappear_

"Ok," he held out his hand for her to take and they assumed their positions. Their friends could do nothing but to trust that she knew what she was doing and they followed her lead. The wedding was once again underway and when it came to the vows, there wasn't a dry eye in the church; to hear the love and commitment and trials that they went through left no doubt in anyone's mind that they belonged together.

_When you look me in the eyes,  
and tell me that you love me.  
Everything's alright,  
when you're right here by my side.  
When you look me in the eyes,  
I catch a glimpse of heaven.  
I find my paradise,  
when you look me in the eyes._

When the preacher declared them husband and wife, the entire church rose to its feet and gave a tremendous applause. Kat smiled as she was thankful that she was given the chance to experience it. As she looked over at Kim and Tommy, who were making their way back down the aisle, she knew that she wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize the second chance that she had been given.

_Epilogue_

It's been an exciting three years for the group of friends. Months after The Wedding, Kim had approached Connor with an idea for his Soccer Camp. She had already talked with Trent and Kira and the two had liked what she had presented. She explained to Connor about her idea, which was instead of making the camp purely about soccer, to turn it into a combination Camp; a camp where you could learn not only soccer, but martial arts, music, gymnastics and drawing as well. He had immediately liked the idea and the four had put their heads together to expand on the idea. By then end of the summer, they had found the perfect place to have the camp. While driving to Angel Grove from Reefside, Kim had spotted the ideal location. Situated between the two towns, was enough space to hold the camp. It was big enough for the ideas that they had in mind and was only about two hours away from both AG and Reefside. Like with Kim's store, the former rangers had all pitched in to help and by Summer 2008, the camp, which was named Camp Eltar: Soccer, Gymnastics, Arts and Music, was up and running. Connor had chosen that name as a tribute to Zordon, the one who started it all and who brought them together. That same year, Kim gave birth to twins. On her birthday earlier in the year, she had found out that she was about three months pregnant. Though the pregnancy was unexpected, it was not an unpleasant surprise and everyone was happy for the parents-to-be. On August 28th 2008, Kim and Tommy, along with their friends and family, welcomed Alexander James and Annalisa Jasmine Oliver into the world. Aisha and Tanya had a double wedding (Rocky had proposed Kim and Tommy's reception) three months later on Halloween while Trini had hers on Christmas Day (Jason had proposed the night the Camp was opened officially).

It was now 2009 and things couldn't be better; it was the twins first birthday and everyone was at Kim's house. The place was filled with music, talking, and laughter and she couldn't be happier. She made her way out to the porch and stood there watching her friends. Her gaze traveled over them and she smiled when she saw them mingling with each other…especially the new guys. The rangers had added on two new teams, Jungle Fury and RPM, and the group of friends, or family as they'd come to think of each other, had come together once more to not only celebrate the twins first birthday, but to celebrate their addition. Camp Eltar was well received and had become a huge success; Kim's stores were still successful and she was in talks to have another store in either New York or Los Angeles. As her gaze continued on her friends, she found herself stopping on Kat. The Australian blonde had successfully rejoined the group with warnings that it was her last chance; Kat however had learned from the past and had told them that she had absolutely no intention of messing up again…and she hadn't. It was tough at first, but she was able to re-forge the friendships that she had made as a teen and also make new ones, and Kim couldn't have been more proud of her. Finally her gaze landed on her husband; Tommy was at the swings with the twins, along with most of the original rangers and Connor, Kira and Hayley. She was beyond happy that they were finally married and she was happy about their kids as well. She really was speaking the truth when she had told Melissa that she had given hope of being with Tommy again, but now, looking at the group in the backyard, she shook her head as she realized that it was a silly thing to do. They _were_ back together and they _were_ stronger than ever.

"Kim," Aisha's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. "Stop standing on the porch and get over here. We can't celebrate these two cuties birthday without their momma, now can we?"

"I suppose not," She laughed. She walked off the porch and headed over to swings. When got close, she lifted her daughter from the swing and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy birthday Anna darling." Annalisa, or Anna, looked just like her mother, except she had her father's chocolate brown eyes, dark mahogany locks and his shy smile and they knew that like her mom, she would be a heartbreaker when she grew up.

The little girl laughed as her mother kissed her again. "Love you mommy."

"Love you too sweetie," Kim smiled. She turned to Tommy who had picked up Alex, and she leaned over and kissed him. "Love you Alex."

"Love you mommy," Alex giggled as he kissed his mother. Alexander, or Alex, was the opposite of Anna; he looked more like his father but with his mother's doe-brown eyes, her caramel colored hair and her smile and Kim knew, including the rest of the girls, that like his father, he would break his fair share of hearts as well.

"That's sweet," Carter smiled. "I think we're going to have to keep an eye on him; he's too cute for his own good….both of them are."

"Blame their parents," Tanya laughed.

"Leave my kids alone," Kim laughed. Tommy shifted to wrap an arm around her shoulders and Kim looked up at him. "Love you Handsome."

"Love you too Beautiful," Tommy smiled as he answered her.

The group turned and headed to the center of the yard where Melissa was placing the birthday cake on the table. As the celebrations continued, Kim looked out at her friends once more; friends that she wouldn't give up for anything in the world. Her mind went over the things that they had been through and she knew they were stronger because of it. She shook her head, pulling herself from the past, and focused on the here and now. Zordon's legacy was broken apart, but now it's mended; they were back together. And as Kim and the others enjoyed the day, they knew that life would keep moving forward and they would as well.

Up in the sky, Zordon of Eltar looked down on the gathering with a smile; his children were together once again. He knew of the trials that they had gone through, but unlike his rangers, he knew that they would get through it and that they would find their way back to each other. A secret broke them apart and a secret brought them back together.

* * *

**A/N 2: **so how was it? hope you guys enjoyed it. so I guess that's the Secrets is finally over. As always, read and review and tell me what you think.

**Song: **_When you look me in the eyes—_The Jonas Brothers


	29. Author's Final Thoughts and Thanks

Hey guys.

Ok, so Secrets is officially over with and now it's time for my thoughts and thanks on this story. So here goes:

This is my baby. When I first started this, I had no idea that it would be such a huge success or that it would take this many chapters. I loved writing it and I loved reading what others thought about it. Half the things that happened, I never planned on them; I already had the story going in a certain direction but then things started happening without my knowledge and when I looked back, it all fit.

Initially, Kat's only secret would be that she had written one letter, which in turn caused Kim to write hers. it was never planned for her to write letters to the others.

Connor was never supposed to be Kim's brother; Pierre and Caroline were supposed to die in a train accident, leaving everything to Kim. As a tribute to the victims of the accident, Kim would've had a benefit concert, where she would've revealed who she was (not her ranger past, just TC and Annabelle) and the proceeds would've gone to a charity. Kim would then use some of the money that had been left to her to fund Connor's soccer camp. I also never planned on having her open a store in Angel Grove.

With Connor not being Kim's brother, then all that stuff with Ken and Sandra never would've happen. So, Carter was never going to be Kim's older brother either. Honestly, I was shocked when I wrote that chapter.

The wedding scene with Kim and Kat _was _what I had originally planned. From the moment Kat had the falling out with the group, I had already had that scene in mind.

This story basically wrote itself, but all in all, I'm glad how it turned out.

As to my reviewers, I have too many to actually single you out. So this is thanks to every single one of you; the ones that reviewed every single chapter, to the ones that came later…even to those that left.

On second thought, I do actually have to single out a few reviewers; falcon4crane, sabina21, Jeremy Shane and Lunar Kitty Kat. You guys were my very first reviewers and I am totally thankful to you.

Anyways, I think I've rambled enough. Thanks once again to all the reviewers and to everyone that had this story on alert and in their favorites.

Thank you,  
Kila

p.s. I don't plan on doing a sequel to this, but if anyone wants to use any ideas from the story, then by all means, go ahead. Just remember to to give me a shout out. :)


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